rrc 

Zoo? 



Qllfp HutbrrBttg of €hirago 



A Middle English Treatise on 
the Ten Commandments 

TEXT, NOTES AND INTRODUCTION 



A DISSERTATION 

SI nMITTEH TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADl!ATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AN 

LITKRATUHE, IN CANDIDACY' FOR THE DECREE OF 

DOCTOR OF PHU.OS0PHT 

DKI-AKTMENT OF ENGLISH 



JAMES FINCH ROYSTER 



CHAPEL HILL, N. C. 
<Life XnibrrBity flrtaa 



JHhp ISntbrraitg of (Gf^ira^n 



A Middle English Treatise on 
the Ten Commandments 

TI-XT, NOTES AND INTRODUCTION 



A DISSERTATION 

Sl-BMITTED TO THE FACILTY OP THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS 
I.ITERATIRE, IN CANDIDACY FOR TUE DEGREE OF 
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 



OF ENGLISH 



JAMES FINCH ROYSTER 



ClIAl'EL HILL, N. C. 
iSift Knibrrsiti) ^rrss 

1911 



INTRODUCTION 



III the (lw'<l of i,'il't of his hook to Roger Stonyi^lale, one of the 

clmiitry priests of St. Niihohis' Church at Newciistle-upoii-Tyne 

(p. D), the scrihe culls it "hoc primariuni." In 

I. contents Lacy's "primariuni" agrees with the 

Tin: Pkymeis. service book coiunionly known as the Prymer. 
Mr. Littelhaies' gives the following table of con- 
tents for the Prymer, the one met with in a large number of Mss. 
examinetl by him: 1) Hours of the Blessed Virgin, 2) Seven 
Penitential Psalms, 3) Fifteen Gradual Psalms, 4) Litany, 5J Office 
of the Dead, (j) Commendations. This matter the Prymer invariably 
contains. In addition to these offices, many copies pf the Prymer 
have various other devotions and forms of religious instruction not 
iiioluded in the original jilan of the book. There is no absolute 
uniformity regulating what this matter shall be, but it is usually those 
things which the Church thought it incumbent upon the laity to 
know : the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Seven Deadly Sins, the 
Seven Sacraments, etc. to which there are often added tracts on 
various subjects. In the " primariuni " described here the added 
matter, except the translation of St. Jerome's Epistle Ad Demelria- 
dem, is that commonly found in the Prymers. 

Later the Prymer came to be not so much a book of monastic 
devotion as a book of religious instruction for the people — "the 
prayer book of the educated laity." ' The compiler of this Primariuni 
was not, however, making a service book for the use of the people. 

' For a description of the MS. see pp. 6-7. 

TA* Prymtr, or Lny Folk, Mas, Jiook, Pt. II, pp. xxxix, EETS. Cf. 
Mp.kell, Hon. Ril. Eccl. Angl. 181G, III ; Littelhaies, H., The Pnjmeroflht Lay 
J'oi/ilf in llir Middle Agef. For a summary oi the bibliography of tlie Prymer cf. 
Hr>-«n, C I"., Modem I'hdolnijy, III, p. 481, note. 

'The i'rymer was early tmnslaled into English for the benefit of those who did 
not unilertland Latin. Cf. Swete, H., •S-rvice, and Service Booh, pp. 112-113; 
Hn.wn, ;.«•. cii., p. 4S1. 



iv J((7nes Fincli Hoys(er 

He compiled it for liis own w^e, (fol. 101 b., p. 9), "and aftur to 
otluir in t-xitynjre hem to devocion and preyers to god," and wills it 
to a chanlrv priest of his <i\vn town to be kept [)erj)etunlly in St. 

The Primarinm wa.s begun as early as 1420 and completed, at 
the latest, by the year 1434. On fol". Itib., col. 1. there i:- a half 
jiage miniature of one imprisoned praying to the 
II. Tin: Dai'i;. Virgin ; the prisoner holds a flowing scroll contain- 
ing writing, the greater part of which has been 
erased ; un.l.-r this ^cr.,!! is the date II.CCCCXX. On fol. 1 ("m 
froiiti: call ills " ) we lind, "Anno domini milesimo. CCCC mo 
x.c.rilij." The year 14o4 may rightly be taken as the extreme date 
for the completion of the Ms. The composition may well have 
extended over a period of fourteen years. 

Friar John Lacy, a member of the order <.f Friars Preachers, 

dwelling at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the first half of the l.jth century 

was the compiler of the Prirnarium. This much 

III. information concerning the vrriter the manuscript 

TnK SciiiiiK. itself gives us : On fol. 1 he .speaks of himself as 

' ' lohanms lacy anackorite de ordine fratrum pre- 

dicatorum noui Catstri super Tynam" ; on fol. 101 as "frere Ion 

lacy Anchor, and Reclused in )>e new castel upon tyndc " ; on fol. 

16 b. , we find " xpe lacy " ; at the bottom of fol. 17, " Lacy scrijj.-iit 

et illuminat" ; and on fol. 151, the name " Lacy." 

To these meagre items of biography I am able to add nothing of 
consequence. ' Mr. Welford ' notes that ' ' a John Lacy is mentioned 



' There is no mention of Jolin Lacv in the series of articles on the Black Fi-iars 
in England in the Reliquary, 7(5-89 ; in the Archeohgical Journal, 1880-18S4 ; 
(Juetif and EchartI, Scriplures ordinis praedicatorum ; Brand's History of Newcastlf ; 
Tanner's Biblioiheca \ Jocher's Allgemdnts Gdehrier Lexicon ; Bale's Index ; or in 
any of the books of the kind available. Miss L. Tonlmin Smith has kindly 
aided me in my search for any notice of this mediaeval penman — nnfortunately 
without result. Miss Smith informs me that a certain John Lacy held an oflice 
in the port of London in 142;i. Clearly this is another man. The name Lacy 
was a common one, especially in the Norih of England. 

"■ Areh. Ad., series lir, 80. Cf. also Welford, Newcastle and Gateshead, I, 29'_'. 



-1 Miildlf KnijI'tHh Trcdiixr on (he Ten ('ornmanilntentji v 

in a ilwil of Jiimiary •Jml, 14.'i2 ns one of tlie executors of tl>e will of 
Richard Clt-.ierliowc " of Xcwcnslle. The i.lentiticatioii of this John 
I^icy with the .loliii Lacy of the Piyiiier is not excluded by the fact 
that he \va.s at the same time a Dominican Friar and the testator of a 
will, for the probation of wills fell within the jurisdiction of the 
ecclesiastical courts, and was one of the powers of the church tribunal 
ajiainst which the i>cople at this time most loudly complained.' This 
Itare piece of information does not, however, aid us in determining 
how far Lacy resembled the Friar of Chaucer's Prologue, or in 
allowing us to judge whether he was one who deserved the strictures 
passetl u[)on the Friars by the author, or authors, of Piers the Plow- 
man. There is no evidence to inform us whether or not he was a 
typical member of his order, who made his way over his circuit 
granting absolution for "a pair of old shoos and a dinner," who 
knew how to cozen the women and make himself " biloved and 
tamulier .... with frankelyns over-al in his coutree." 

The indications in the ms. that John Lacy copied the Treatise on 

THE Tex Commandments into his Primarium rather than composed 

it are many.' Every page gives evidence of errors 

IV. made in copying and corrections inserted in re- 

AvTiioR-snir. vision. No other version of the same treatment of 

the ten commandments exists in Middle English, 

so far as I know, and no original from which Lacy copied has yet been 

printed. There can be, under the circumstances, no speculation as to 

the i<Ientity of the author. Any well meaning priest might have 

n ritten the trcati.se.' 

' Trevelyan, G. M., England m the Age of Wydiffe, p. 112. 

' For instance : p. P, 11. 21, 22, 24 ; p. 1 1, I. 35 ; p. 14, 1. 2 ; p. 19, 1. 10 ; p. 
21, 1. 10 ; p. 25, 1. 2S ; p. o2, 11. 1, 28, etc. For a description of' the MS. see 
pp. .>-7. 

•Without bcinu tempted into an effort to reconstruct the original or to assign 
(lifTercnl parts of the com^^iilliort to the author and to the scribe, I am inclined to 
l>elieve that the scribe iidded the story of the unforgiving slandered woman (p. 12) 
to his original. In the firsit place, the iM)sition of the narrative suggest-s this 
IKKuibility. It comes at the end of the "prologue" and is separated from the 
diHUy^ion of the first commandment by two lines of I^atin, a convenient place fof 
the insertion of original matter. There is no correction of or addition to the text 
in the column in which this narrative stands. The spirit and vividness with 



V. 




Tin: Till 


OATI.SK 


ON TIIIC 


Tks 



vi James Finch Roystcr 

Tracts oil the Decalogue, containing a systematized condemnation 
of all sins, with directions for righteous living,' were an exceedingly 
popular form of the clerical literature of the Mid- 
dle Ages. In the Sermon of Dan Jon Gaytryge " 
we read : " )>e law to kuawe God Almyghty, 
]>at principally may be schewed in theis sexe 
CoMMAXDMic.NTs. tliyngcs " — the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the 
Seven Works of Jlercy, the Seven Deadly Sins, the 
Seven Virtues, and the Fourteen Points of Faith. During the years 
when Lacy was c()in])iling his Prymer, " when the Wycliffite move- 
ment was at death gri|)s with the Catiiolic ciuirch," discourses upon 
any other suhjecis hut those mentioned above were forbidden by the 
Priniat." 

The exposition in those treatises invariably takes this form. There 
is a prologue' — of varying length — concerning the origin of the 
conimandments, showing why thev should l)e kept. The command- 
ments follow in order. Under each commandment are mentioned the 
manifold ways in which this particular mandate of God is broken, — 
the various forms of sin especially condemned by this commandineiit. 
The discourse concludes with an exhortation, or a threat, to keep the 
laws of God. In all of (he Middle English expositions of the com- 
mandments I have been able to examine, the .same plan is followed. 
Both the subject matter and tiie form are the common property of 
mediaeval religious literature, and have their ultimate source in Holy 
Writ and tiie writings of the Fathers. The phrasing became stereo- 
tyj)ed and the expression formalized. 



wliicli the .story is told is wanting in the rest of the composition. That a copier 
or transhitor felt at perfect liberty to insert eiempki of his own into his original is 
shown in the treatment to which Robert of Brunne subjected William of Wadding- 
ton's Manuel des Peehez. Crane, Exempla of Jacqite.t de Vitni, cites the examples 
of Bernadius of Milan in his Romrium sermonum praedicabilum, and ( lottsclKilk 
Hollem in his Sennones super Epistolas Pauli. 

'"Bokes whiche shcwe us the way of godly lyvynge, and soulys helth." — 
Barclay, SUip of Foolx. For a Reformation complaint as to the excessive number 
of such books cf. Gaii, Kingdom of IJeuine, p. 3, ST.S 

^ Perry, Reliyiom Pifccs, p. 2, EETS. 

^Treveleyan, loc. cit., p. 127, quoting Wilkins, ni, 59 and Gibson, i, 382-4. 

* Cf., for instance, Hugo of St. Victor, De Sacrament is. Migne, Put. Lat., cxi,. 



A Middle Englixh Tmitioc nu thr Ten Commandmmis vii 

In nf ither subject matter nor form does this treatise depart from the 

conventional mode of treatment. Every thought, and almost every 

[iliruse, can be paralleled by passages from other 

VI. Soi'R('E. tlu'ological discourse;^. But the relation between 
this version and any otiier tract on the Ton 
Commandments known to nic is not dose enough, by a great deal, to 
lead to a conclusion that this trcati.se is a copy of any Middle 
English tract so far pul)lished ; nor do I know of any Latin original 
which can be held responsible. Rather than a slavish copy it seems 
to be a free rendering, in conventional form and style, of matter 
common to theological literature. The fashion is consistently followed 
throughout. The text is thoroughly supplied with reference and 
(juotation from the Bible and the Fathers to indicate the .sources of 
the material. 

A separate tract on the Seven Deadly Sins, or any detailed treat- 

raeut of them, is lacking. These sins are, however, enumerated under 

a sejjarate heading in the same way that the Ten 

VII. Commandments, the Five Wits, the Seven Deeds of 

The Seven Mercy, etc. are catalogued (fol. 126 b.). It may 

Deadly Sins, have been the intention of the scribe to let this list 
serve as an index for other tracts to follow. At 
the end of these list3 there is a break in the ms. ; but the translation 
of St. Jerome's Epistle is taken up in the next section. 

Earlier, in the Treatise on the Ten Commandments, the 
Seven Deadly Sins personified are introduced in company with those 
who break the Sabbath by drinking, gambling, and other sins of 
gluttony. A merry party of gluttons and " wasters of mens susti- 
nance " is a.ssembled for pleasure. The Seven Deadly Sins enter and 
make merry with the company. Each sin is in his u.sual habit. 
Pride is a Iwaster and hypocrite ; C^vetousness, full of oaths, causes 
each one to beguile the other ; Jyechery relates ribald stories ; 
Gluttony, the " Stuanl " of the household, will allow no one to go 
home until he is fully satisfied with food and drink ; Sloth, the 
" Marchel " of the hall, bringing Idleness with him, keeps the cup 
always full : Wrath, the "Tresureer," having Envy in his com- 



viii Jamcii Fincli lioygicr 

pany, makes up the accounts and warns them all that no one shall 
speak well of his neighbor.' 

In the books of medieval theological writers the Seven Deadly Sins 
had been made to assume almost every conceivable allegorical shape ; 
they had been personified under almost every form that can be thought 
of.- From the days of Prudentius the battle between tlie Vices and 
the Virtues had been raging.' A very common form which this 
strife-allegory assumed is that of a castle inhabited and defended by 
the Virtues, and attacked by the .Seven Deadly Sins.' A closely 
related form of the allegory is that found in the earlier SoivIpk Warde 
and in the Abbey of the Hobj Ghosts In the Abbey a religious house 
is built on Conscience, erected by Obedience and 3Iercy, and founded 
upon Patience and Strength ; the Holy Ghost is the Visitor ; Wisdom 
and Discretion, Penance and Temperance are the officers. A tyrant 
of the land stormed the Abbey and put his four daughters — Envy, 
Pride, Grucching, and Evil-Thinking — into po.s.session. But their 
rule was brief, for the Visitor soon came and expelled the usiirj)ers. 

While we do not have the allegory in the Tke.^tise on the Tkn 
CoMM.\.KDirEN"r.s completely worked out, there is enough of it to 
suggest that the writer had in mind a reversed form of the "household 



' For ;i neatly t-.ibulateci survey of the conventional charaeteristics of tlie Seven 
Deadly Sins see Mile. Fowler, Une Source Franamc du Pocmta ile Goner, Mcnton, 
1905, pp. 58 ff. 

^'Cf. Triggs, O. L., AssemUy of Gorh, pp. l.xixfr. To his list of the occurrences 
of llie Seven Deadly Sins in Middle English literature may be added these 
examples : Tovmleij Mysteries, 377, oOli, 331 ; Diyhy Plays, GO ; Knylische 
Stuilien, IX, 43; Perry, Religious Pieces, 77; Curmr Mundi, v, 1524; 
lieUquio- Anliquiii;, 136, 2f<0 ; William of Shoreham, 98, 28, 102, 107 ; 
R. of Bruune, I, 105 ; My re, Piir!.-<h Priests, 31 ; Dunbar, Dance of Seven Deadly 
Sins ; Lydgate, Temple of Glas, 20 ; Chester Plays, 207 ; Vernon Jis., i, 243. For 
Latin tracts on the Seven Deadly Sins see Append, ad S. Augustinuni, Migne, 
XL; Vitil-s orlo, S. Eutropius, Migne, Lxxx, 9; Vit. octo Princip., .\ldhelmns, 
LXXXIX, 28 ; Vit. ct Viriulibns, Rabanus Manras, Migne, cxii ; Vit. et Virt., 
Hugo of S. Victor, Migne, CLXXVi, 525; Petrus Cantor, Jligne, ccv, 44. 

^Cf. Neilson, W. A., "Origins and Sources of the Court of Love," Harvard 
Studies and Notes, Vol. VI, p. 19. Triggs, lor. cit., pp. Ixiii ff. 

*Cf. the "Castle of Perseverance"; Grossete.ste'.s " Ca.stle of Love"': Xeil- 
son, loc. cit., ch. ni, passim. 

s Perry, Reliy. PUces, pp. 48 ff., EETS. 



.1 MiiliUe Euijlisli Tiratixf on the Ten Onnmamhnrnls ix 

allep>rv." Taking; the place of tiie House of riod, or tlie Castle of 
Love, us tlie resilience of tlie Virtues, is the Tavern, the stonghold of 
the Vices. Of this household the Seven Deadly Sins are the rightful 
offit'ors : (iluttonv, the " Stuard " ; .Sloth, the " Marcliel " ; Wrath, 
the "Tresureer." But the strife motive is lacking; there are no 
forces ojiposcd to the ^'ices. 

To the mind of the devout man of religion of the time there could 
be no tittei castle of wickedness than the tavern. By the Church it 
was considered the home and breeding-place of ail sin.' Among the 
theologicjil writers it is often characterized as the -'devil's school- 
hou.se." Don Michel,' following his source,' says : 

" |>e tauernc ys ['e scole of |>e dyeule huere his deciples studieth. 
and his o;^ene chapele per huer me del> his seruese. and per huer he 
makep his miracles zuiche ase bchoue|> to pe dyeule. At cherche kan 
god his uirtues sseawT. and do his miracles, pe blynde : to lijte. pe 
crokede : to riyte. yelde pe wyttcs of pe wode. pe speche : to J'e donibe. 
pe hierpe : to pe dyaue. Ac pe dycuel dep al ayenward ine pe tauerne. 
Vor huaxne pe glotoun gep in to pe tauerne ha gep oprijt. huanne he 
comp a-ycn : he ne hep uot pet hiw nioje sostyeiii ne here. Hua/ine he 
per-in gep : he y-zycp and y-herp and specp wel and onderstant. huare 
he comp ayen : ho hep al pis uorlore as pe ilke pet ne hep wyt ne scele 
ne ondersto/idinge. Zuyche byep pe miracles pot pe dyeuel raakep. 
And huet les.<ouns per he ret. Alle uelpe he tekp per. glotounye. 
lecherie. zuerie. uorzuerie. lyeje. miszigge. reneye god. euele telle. 
contacky. and to ueelc oper manyeres of zeHnes. per arisep pe cheastes. 
pe strifs. pe manslaj|>es. per me tekp to stele : and to hongi. pe tauerne 
is a dich to pieues. and pe dyeules castel uor to werri god an his 
hal^en. and po pet pe tauernes sustyenep : byep uelajes of alle pe 
zennen pet byep y-do inc hare tauerne.s. and uor zope yef me ham zede 
oper dede a.«emoche ssame to hire uader oper to hare moder. oper to 
hare gromes. as me dep to hire uader of heuene. and to oure Iheuedy. 
and to pe haljen of paradis. mochel hi wolden hawi wrepi. and oper 
red hi wolden do per to panne hi dop." 



' Chancer's Friar, however, " knew the tavernes wel in every toun." Prol., 240. 
^ Af,nbxlfof Invil, pp. .56-7, EETS. Cf. Jusserand, J. J., English Wayfaring 
Lift^ pp. 1.30(1. Cf. Chaucer's " develcs temple," Pardoners Tale, 8. 
•Fowler, lot. rii., p. 96. 



X ■ James Fiitrh RoijsUr 

The iuionynunis autlior of Jacob's Well' speaks thus of the tavern : 
" I'e tauenie i>; wellc of glotonye, for it may be clepyd l>e develys 
scolehous & )'e devyls cliapel fur there his dycyples stoiidyen & 
syngeu bothe day it iiy;vt." 

Robert Crawley, writiii.s.' niore than a huiidn-il and fifty years hiter, 
coiiliinies tlie c(>iidfiiiiiali(Jii : - 

"Anil ihen siicli as lone nut 
to hear theyr fautcs tolde, 
I5y the minister that readeth 

the new Testament and olde 
di) Inrne into the alehouse 
and let the church go." 

The sins apjiear in the f.dhiwintr order: Pride, Covetousness, 
Lechery, Ghittoiiy, Shith, Wrath, and I-^uvy. Tliis sequence differs 
fnnn that i'ouiid in Chancer, (loner, .■1;?<"". of IinvU, Grtjgory, or from 
tiial in Anuai-Lin<!. All agree, liowever, in i)]acing Pride first in the 



use is made of c.cempla for ilhistratiiig the lessons 

1 but five tales. Three of these are versions of 

widely-scattered stories, one is related on the 

auiliority of oral transmission, and another is said 

ii> lie taken from an author whom I have not 

lifying. The sources indicated by the writer are : 

ji'egory's ])ial<Hjiu'-<, and " Vincencius in Ge^tis 



1. (p. 12.) .\ young man slandered a young woman. She bore 
him such resentment for his evil speech that she would not forgive 
him, even when at the point of death she was strongly urged and 
threatened by the i>riest. She died without the holy sacrament. Her 
s[)irit afterwards appeared to tlie man who had slandered her, while 
he was tethering his hor.se, and told him tliat she had been damned 



Onl 
taught 


y a 111 


VIII. 


Exi- 


su(;cee( 
VlVic 


led in 


Awjlo. 


nun:' 



' p. 147, VAZTS. 

- Works of Robert Crawlei/, ed. Cowper, p. 89, "Of .Meliouses," EET.'*. 
»Cf. Triggs, he. eit., p. l.txii. 

'C(. Hale's Index, p. •J14. The title there recorded, Gesla Anr/lonim, I have 
lieen able to trace no further. 



^•1 Middle KnyliKh Tnnt'mc un the Ten Vommdudmrntu xi 

for his sake, but tliiit lie still had time while alive to obtain forgive- 
ness aixl mercy. There was no remedy for her. The priest was sent 
for to conjure her to some " dry place." The .spirit disappeared. 

The tale is related upon the authority of an acquaintance, a man of 
"perfection and credens." This indication of source may, or may 
not, be true. We must give it consideration when we remember that 
it was a common custom among the exemph writers to add stories of 
local tnidition and sometimes of local happenings to their collections.' 
FurtluTinore, wo should bear in mind the fact that the scribe 
acknowledges that he has read the other stories, and that search after 
parallels for this one has been in vain. On the other hand, it should 
not be forgotten that it was a convention to relate a story on the 
authority of oral transmission in order to make it more realistic, and 
to give it a readier acceptance.' 

The separate parts of which the story is made up are stock motives. 
The moral, which is to show the virtue of the shrift and the peril of 
dying unab.solved, can be illustrated by innumerable exempla.-' The 
ap|)eanuice of the spirit of one who died unconfe.-^scd to warn others is, 
of course, a commonplace. The handling of the slander motive is 
unusual. Generally the slanderer is punished. 

II. (p. 15. ) The second story is related ui fewer tlian fifty words. 
A Jew was .saved from the power of wicked spirits by making the sign 
of the cross. 

'Cf. Jaequf* de VUry, ed. C. F. Crane (Folk Lore Soc.), Introduction, pp. 
lirii, Ixviii, Ixxii, xcvi. (iregory, in his Dialogues, is very careful to strengthen 
the authority of his anecdotes by citing the authority of those who were eye- 
witnesses, if he him.«elf did not see them. Robert of Brunne vouches for the 
anthenticity of his stories n<> follows : 

'"Aferuels, some as y fonde wrytyn. 
And other that li.ive be seyn & wetyn ; 
Non hen thare-yn, more ne lesse 
Bui that y-founde wrytc, or had wytne.sse." 
' In the SieilrrUtnduiehe Sar/m (eti. Wolf, p. 54) , u comparatively late collection, 
the brother-in-law of the knight, the chief [lerson in the story, is cited as 
authority. Ilul the same tale had been told by Caesarius of Heisterbach. 
Examples of this kind can be piled up almost indefinitely. 

'To cite only one or two examples, cf. Jiieob's Well, pp. 21, 18.3 ; Bede, Hist. 
EeeU,, V, xiii. In a large number of instances the Virgin appears and intercedes. 



xii James I-'incii lioydcr 

The source is plainly stateil to be Cregory's Dwhxjii,^. It is found 
in Ulv. iir, ch. 7 (Migno, /'-((. L<d., lxxvii, col. 2lii)). Civgory 
relates the incident in the following manner : A certain bishop, 
Andreas of Fiilda, an old man full of virtue and good deeds, became 
tempted by a holy woman who was dwelling in his house. A Jew 
])assing through this city was unable to find a lodging for the night, 
and made his bed in a temple of Ajjollo. Fearing the sacreduess of 
the place, he decided to protect himself by making the sign of the 
cros.s, though, in reality, he held its power as little. In the middle of 
the night he woke and saw a strange sight. An as.sembly of evil 
spirit.s was being questioned by their master as to the wicked deeds 
they had been .loing. One related that he ha<l poisoned the mind of 
Hir-linp Atidn-as for the holy wouian. Suddenly the spirits were 
ordered by thi'ir nia-ter ti> seek aliout the ten;|)le to find one who did 
not belong to their order. They soon came upon the Jew, but the 
sign of the cross was upon him. The devils retired, saying, " Vae, 
r.fc, I'li.t viionnm il xiyii'itnm." The .lew ran to the bishoji and told 
hiiu what he luid <een. He became a Chri-^tian, and the bislsoj) juit 

The same tale is fuund in ./. d,- Vif. (rxxxi ), A'/ Llhro dc loa 
Enexemplos (xxi), .!/;;/(. at T. (ccxxviii) and in ll'tial. Si/inie 
(Ilox. Chdi), p. 124. 

In /•;/ L:I>. ih- los Eiix.. then> arc two versions of the story ; these 
are jiraelieally the same, except that the second one is considerably 
fuller in detail. The first version, following faithfully CJregory, 
conelud - : "Ella manera <lesta in(]uisicion brevement la dice San 
(iregorin; mas piiedese saber mas largament ])or un enexmplo (jue 
se ley en las Vidas de los santos Padres.-' However, nothin- new is 
addJ.l. 

The story has taken on additions in Ilaiidlijiig >'iyinir, while 
Jacques de Vitry has cut it to a considerable extent. It is faithfully 
reproduced in .-l;; Alphihrf. of To/ex. Odo of Cheriton (no. 182) 
al.so relates this story. I-'or furthcM- !)ibli,igrai)hy, cf. J. de Vit. (ed. 
Crane), pp. 189-90. 

in. (p. l,s. ) A clerk was greatly dev.led to the Virgin, but he 
was accustomed to use vicious oaths. ()nr Lady, nevertheless, prayed 



-1 Mi'l'lle Eiif/lluli Tnalisr <>ii Ihc Ten C'oiiimamlinentx xiii 

to lier Son tliiit he mi^'lit l)e saved. One day ,«lie appeared before tlie 
clerk a-x he was in his devotions, witli her eiiihl in her amis. His 
cj-L's were hanjjing on his cheeks, his arms and I)ones were broken, his 
flesh was rent, and his heart was lorn out of his body. The clerk 
intjuirod of her who had thus mangled her Child. He was told that 
he was one of those who had thus injured him. She disappeared. 
The clerk mended his waj's and made a good end. 

No source is indicated by the author. Pie merely says: "We 
reden of a miracul of oure lady." In none of the large collections 
described and analyzed by Mussafia (Sitzungsberichte der Wiener 
AcademU, 113, 115," 119, 123) or by Ward (Cut. of Mom. in Brit. 
J/iw., II ), is this storj' found. It belongs, however, to a class of 
Mary legends very common, which may be called " ^lary intervention 
exempla. " Where this exact version comes from I do not know. 

With some variation the story is told in Huudlyng Syiiiie (EETS, 
Pt. I, pp. 25 8".). This is an addition on the part of the English 
translator ; it is not in William of Waddington's M<tiiuel de« Fevhez. 
Dr. Furnivall has not traced the borrowing. The two versions difier 
in these particulars. In Hand. Synne the swearer is not a clerk, but 
"a ryche man" ; the Virgin appears to him in the same manner 
with her wounded Child in her arms, but the conversation between 
her and the clerk is given at greater length. Mary promise' to 
intercede for him if he will repent and do penance. 

IV. (p. 1!).) Sir Robert of Worce-^tcr was a good and charitable 
man, but he was a hard swearer ; his favorite oath was by "godes 
spere," or by the " spere of god." After his death a good man 
prayed continually for his soul. An angel appeared to this man and 
informed him that it was not the will of God that he should pray for 
the soul of such a wicked man as the knight had been, for he was 
damned. Then the angel lo<l him to a "place of paynes," where 
there was a great pit of fire, in which the knight lay burning. A 
devil was smiting him with a great spear. The angel disappeared. 

Vicencius in OealU Anglorum is given as the source. I have found 
no notice of a Vicencius who wrote a GeMn Anglorum.' Bede's 

' Cf. p. X, note 4. 



xiv James Fincii Bot/stcr 

Ecclesiasfipal Hjstnri/ is usually rofm-rtnl to as Ge-'-fa Anfjlorum, but 
Bede ha.s not told this narrative. The possibility suggested itself that 
this might be a loose and careless reference to Vincent of Beauvais, 
for in the Spreulum Hixtorialc, Bks. xxiii to xxx, he tells of the 
deeds of the English and French kings. The tale is not, however, 
found in this section of the book, and, apparently, nowhere else in the 
volume. Furthermore, William of JIalniesbury's Gesta Begum is 
referred U> by excmjila writers as (Itsta Amjlorum (Cat. of Kom. in 
Jlril. J/»... ii'i, ed. J. A. Herbert, lidO, p. ")11 and p. 536). But 
the story of Sir Robert of Worcester is not found in William of 
Malmesbury's history. The careless way in which "in Gestis Anglo- 
rum " is u.sed seems to indicate that the term might be applied to any 
book or portion of a book concerned witli English history. 

There arc no other occurrences of the legend known to nic. The 
two motives of which tiie story is composed are frequently foiuid. It 
is related in the Alphabet of Tales, (no. 305) that a man was virtuous 
in everyway, except that he used " fowle language" ; his punish- 
ment was, however, different from that accorded to Sir Robert : his 
bodv was cut in two. The futility of praying for unredeenuibly 
damned souls is also illustrated by a story in the .same collection (no. 
291), taken from Jacques de Vitry (736, p. 492), who had it from 
Caesarius of Heisterbach. The vision of hell and the sight of the 
punished i.s a commonplace in e.rempla. Cf. Ward, Cat. of Kom. in 
Jh-it. Mu.<.; Becker, E. J., Mediaeval Vision-i of Heaven and Hell, 
Baltimoi-e, 1 S99. 

V. In the Tract on Confesdun, not printed in the following text, 
is related the story of the two brothers and the book of three leaves. 
The older of the two brothers w-as a clerk, the younger a "lewd" 
man. The clerk was proud and impatient, while the lowly brother 
was meek and well liked by all who knew him. The clerk in(iuired 
of his brother how he had attained the virtue of patience and humility. 
He was told that it came through the reading of a wonderful book of 
three leaves ; the first leaf was written in letters of gold, the second in 
letters of red. tb.. third in letters of black. On the black leaf he 
fiiuml his sins, on the red the i.overtv, sufl'crini;- and meekness of 



A iliilillt' Kngl'iKh Duutlinf on the Tai Command mfnts xv 

Je8U8,*and ou the gold the jovs of paradise. Wlieii he had Hni^lied 
the rending in this order lie despised himself and the world. 

Tlie Vitae Palruin i.s named as the source ; but, apparently, it is 
not in the text printed by Migne, Pat. hat. vols. 73, 74. It is well 
known tliat the writers of exempla often confused the sources which 
lliev useil, and .sometimes wilfully misrepresented them in their de.'-ire 
for a worthy source.' If tlie tale, however, is not to be found in the 
Vitue Palriim, it is one of the most popidar and often repeated stories 
of the exempla books. It is in the Ge^ta Romanorum (ed. Oesterly, 
no. 1S8), but the English translator has omitted it. (Cf. Gesia 
Jiommiorum, ei\. Mortage, EET8, Append, p. 5.31.) Wright early 
published the story without comment (Percy Soc, vni). For 
further bibliography cf. Oesterly, p. 742. Oesterly believes it to be 
related to the story of the three crows {Gesta Jioman., no. 125), and 
cites here Byrom's Three Black- Crows (Chalmers' Poets, xv), of 
which he probably read only the title. 

The task of arriving at any definite conclusions as to the language 

of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne district at the end of the first quarter of 

the fifteenth century through the evidence furnished 

IX. by the present te.xt is made ((uite impossible by the 

Language. fact that Lacy's ms. is a copy, by the absence of 

opjxirtunity for making rime tests and by the really 

small amount of exact information we possess in regard to the language 

of this district at this time. The more or less mechanical record of 

the writiugs of the more common sounds found in this text will at any 

rate, it is hoped, be of some value to future investigators of the 

language of the northmost part of England in the early years of the 

fifteenth century. 

Vow E us. 

The forms in which OE a (WG a, WS a), e, i, 7, o, o, u, ii, eo 
appear in this text follow the usual ^lE developments and present little 
of interest. The following observations are to be noted : — 

OE a ((t) before nasals = a, a (written a, aa) : man, Aan, name, 
etc.; Ixifore nasal combinations ;^ both a and o: lander, londes ; 

' Cf. J. Croslaod, Modem Languagu Jtetiew, I, i, 57. 



xvi Janus Finch RnyMer 

wrancji', urmujedy ; honde, hoondr, haiirhi', etc. Altlmiigli early 
Soullieru ME employed generally the o in this ca.se in coiilra.st to the 
early Northern a, neither form at this late period furnishes a dialectic 
criterion. The London Records of thi.< date have both a and o 
(Morsbach, Ubcr den Ursprung der Xeueitfjlischen SchriJ'Uprache, S. 
28 ; Lekebusch, Die Londoner Vrkvndenspraehe von H30-1500, S. 
51) ; while the same orthographic variation is comnjon in the Toimley 
Mysteries, Thomas of EreeldoHnc, Richard Rolle and in other Northern 
texts. Cf. Baiimann, York Urkunden, B. 16. 

In fache and bniunyng, OE e appears as a. Cf. Sievers, Gram- 
mafik, 89. Anm. 1 ; Morshach, Schrijhpraehe, 59 ; Baun;ann, Y. 
Urk., 21. Anm. 

ON gar is fonnd once, written gar. 

i (written i and y) changes with c in vlnl (icitlif), ncthe, liimmilh, 
het, xvreten, sengel, wedue. Luik (Untersuchung zur eng. Laidlehre, 
209) takes this variation for a lengthening to c. It seems to be, 
however, more a matter of writing than one of sound. It is an 
orthographic variation extremely common in mss. of this date. Cf. 
Englische Studien, 27, 352 ; Herrig's Archiv, 102, 43 ; Morsbach, 
Mittelenglisehe G^-ammalik, 65. In bcdruden OE i = a (through e ?). 

The writing a for e < OE eo, breaking before h, r and ^ + a con- 
sonant is not found. For the usual e we have o in world. OE -^eong 
{eo through palatalization) appears as both j,eng and j,ing. According 
to Kolbing {Sir Tristam, p. xxxi) the last form is Northern. Cf. ten 
Brink, Anglia, 1, 520. 

OE 1/ is generally written /. y, as \i\ finte, chirchc. wyrkyng, mynde, 
hynd, etc. In mekel, evyle it occurs as e. This original Southern 
writing was not unknown to Northern scribes. R. Rolle has these 
two words in the same forms. Cf. Kolbing, Sir Trisiam, p. Ixx. It 
is written u in hud, putt (noun), cwssynges and -schupe. This is 
another instance of an original Southern form that had ceased to be 
confined to the Southern district. The London orthography of the 
day as noted by Morsbach {Grammatik, 8 ; Suhriftsprache, 38), 
employs usually ), sometimes e and here and there n. An Alphabet 
of Tales (MS. Northern, fifteenth century) shows a great fondness for 
the forms in u : furxte, hnr, churche, etc. In Cursor Mundi (Adds. 
MS. B. M. 10,036) there are occasional occurrences of the i(-writing. 



-•1 Mi'hilf EikjUkIi TrailUc on the Tni Command nitnix xvii 

\VS c(i 1 ) breaking before I -\- d (Northern a. Sievers, Grammutik, 
\''\, ''\) is fuund iL< l>c)tli (t and o in the same word : haldi', holdeii, 

■tholden, H'ithaldes (old : aid : (\ -.2). Chaucer has here only o 
len Brink, Sprnche, 36); the London Documents generally o, beside 
a few forms in a. The forms in o are not, however, unknown in the 
North as early as the fourteenth century. 2) breaking before /i -j- a 
cons<mant - uw, an : lauj.en, giiw^e, miij.e. The decisive Northern a 
(Kuluzu, flliitorigche (}ramm(dilc der englinclien Spraclie, II, '28) is not 
found. 

()E (■( = both ("i and o : haly, holy ; mare, more ; etc. Variant 
forms occur in the same line. The o (oo) forms predominate in 
almost the proportion of two to one. The word haly furnishes by far 
the largest number of examples of the a-form, — twenty-nine {holy, 
eighteen). The preservation of OE a is one of the most decisive 
Northern charsicteristies. The Southern and Midland change OE a 
to 0. An Alphabet of T<ilei< and the Xorth Knglish L'ato Vernon 
{Englische Studien, 36. MS. fifteenth century) exhibit the same 
variation of spelling that we find here. Professor Hempl (Journal 
of Germanic Philology, 1, 22) very proi)erIy doubts "to what extent 
Southernly Northern text5 with o represent a real d or only a Southern 
spelling for a." The occurrence of the o-form in a fiir Northern text 
is probably always a matter of orthography rather than one of pronun- 
ciation. Though the scribe write the two forn)s, we cannot postulate 
two pronunciations differing so widely as o and a in the mouth of the 
same man at the same time. The writer who uses two forms of spell- 
ing for the same word, or for the same sounds in different words is 
copying from an original with a different spelling representing a dif- 
ferent pronunciation from that of his own usage— traces of which he 
allows to remain in his ti-anscription ; or a standard of spelling, to a 
large degree arbitrary, forces an unphonetic spelling upon him ; or 
lastly the lack of a standard orthography allows him to represent 
a sound in almost any manner he chooses. 

WS a (Mercian and Northern w and (", WG a, Germ <") = <" and a : 
reden, techet, were, tceren ; and ladde, lattes. 

WS (c (i-umlaut of «) = r and u : redi, dene ; and clanes, dur.nes, 
garl. 

Dil)elius (John Capgrave itnd die englische Schrijlsprache) states 



xviii James Finch I'nj/strr 

that the a-fornis are the move frequently fciiind in the Xortli and 
N(irth-Mi(ihind, r and o al'o appearing in nearly all writers of the 
^'orIh-;Midhlnd, while o conies into the North first in the fifteenth 
century through the influence of the Southern poets. Cf. Kaluza, 
Hhiorhche Gnnnmatik, ii, "27. Laey's writing shows no o-fonns. 
The weakened i-form is seen in iVA and ilki'. 

OE la ^^ )'■ : dedh, deth, dfedlij, gret, heed. Gratiir and graliid 
each occur once, — forms indicating a. shortening of OE ?« to ca. 
Cf. Biilliring, Altenglische Grammatik, § 344a ; Kaluza, HUtoruche 
Grammutlk, ii, 29 c; and Morsbach, SchnfUprnche, 67. The regular 
ME development is a. 

OE eo:=e: he, frend, ■■'ee. fle, seek, etc. In regard to benth, cf. 
Notes, p. 88. 

CON.SONANTS. 

OE palatal (' = 1) initially cli : child, chese, chirclic (kirk does not 
ajipear) ; 2) medially and finally cli and k: wilke, wiche (predominat- 
ing form), (7/-, ich, ?«p/.r/ (ON? ), -»iif/ie, scke--; seches ; -lokur, 
-liclic ; Aenkcn, />enccith. The palatalized rV-form is by far the more 
fre(juent in the scribe's writing. Cf. Kluge, Pauls Grundviss, ii, 
9i)3 ; Morsbach, Grammatik, 14 and Littcraturblatt, x, 101. ON. 
borrowings do not show the palatization : taketh, sikurhj. 

OE 6r — 1) sell : flesehe (6 tima : fleshj once), vorschip (3 times : 
tuorsup 2) ; -die m fleclie (once) ; 3) c in enijlicc (once). Inorganic 
sell appears once in sc.heche. In the auxiliary (OE) sccal we find both 
.«(•/(- and .s--, tlip writing in s- having a slight advantage — 42 : 31. 
sch- in Ni)nliern texts is not uncommon. K. RoUe writes sh (seh, 
sc) throughout. An Alphabet of Tales and t])e Xorthem English Cato 
Version show the same inconsistency between s- and «p/t- as we find 
in this text ; while, on the other hand, a few «- forms are to be found 
in the London documents (Morsbach, Schriftsprache, i)6). In the York 
records both sail and shal are used, the former writing being the more 
frequently employed (Bauraann, Y. Urk., ^2). 

There is no confusion in the medial position between d and the 
voiced th, as far as the writing indicates. Cf. Murray, Dialects of the 
Southern Counties of Scot/and, p. 121. Final d appears as f in lorte 



A Middle Engli»h Treatim: on llif Ten ('oniui(in(lincnl.i x'lx 

once (otherwise lorde), in />ousant and often in the past participle of 
weak verbs. / and d interchange in conforlc and conforde. We do not 
find nfntf for ^ende. Cf. ten Brink, Spraehe, 170 and Smith, Speci- 
men* of Middle SeoU, xxvii. 

Final t or d of the past participle of weak verbs is often written th, 
as is the final I in a large number of wonls : wrooth, weddethe, xecthe, 
withe renthe, feetJi, and also medially : thou-^lhii.'!, etc. These arc 
without doubt merely orthographic variants. R. RoUe rimes Judith: 
icrill : Judith : Durid (I'ricl: of Con.^cicnee, ed, Morris, xxiv). 
Numerous instances of th for t without ajjparent cause may easily be 
citetl. 

In one word, rcirc, OE /'appears as r initially, originally from the 
East Southern dialect. This v was iulroiluced in a few words in the 
I>indon dialect (8weet, Short Historical English Grummar, 189), and 
wa.s found once by Morsbach in the I.K)ndon documents (Schrift-tprachc, 
103, lo8). No instance is known to nie of this writing in a pure 
Northern text. Initial /for A isi found in fumte. Cf. Varnhagen, 
Ameiijer fiir deuttche* Alterlum, i.x, 179. Anm. Note the writing 
semfne for Kefen. 

ng is reduced to n in lenthe, st(r)cn/'i', everltiMnnlij, hjndom (also 
kijngdom ) and in a few past participles. This may be merely graphic ; 
or it may be a reproduction of the pronunciation : n for q. Murray 
(Dinlrctji, 5.3, 124, 0.34) takes the dropping of g before th as a char- 
acteristic of Middle Scotch, " spellings which are found in the 
Northern dialect since the thirteenth century." Cf Smith, Speci- 
men* of Middle Scotn, XXV, anil Morsbach, Schriftspraehe, 100, 109. 
Initial g is never written y. There is no case of -cht for -j^ or -j,th. 

OE h is regularly retained. It is dropped in a few words (even- 
hgng) and is present inorganically in heerly. 

OE A 8 -- th and A th and /■ appear side by side. /■ is more 
frecpiently used in pronominal forms, y is not written for initial />. 
Confusion with the voiced d medially is not met with. 

OE /lie- -ric/i-and u'-. The latter writing is the predominating 
one (33:1.3). We find wj, wiche, wen, what, whiche, when, etc. 
The distinctive Northern f/u does not occur. Intrusive w is found 
several times in wonn and wolde ("old "). 



XX JdiiiM Finch J\oi/ster 

Tmi.ectiox?. 
Xoiuis. 

There is no noeewity to distinguish lietweeii the various (leelcnsions 
of nouns found in the older periods of the language, for with the 
exception of fewer than ten substantives all nouns in this text are 
inflected according to the original a-maseuline declension. 

Noni and ace. sing, end in a consonant or in -e. OE endings, if 
there were any have cither disappeared or have been reduced to -e. 
Final e i.s irregular and uncertain throughout, and is in no way a 
con.<istent index of length. 

Gen. sing, ends in -«<,-(>,-?/.?,-?(.?, the -es predominatiug. The lan- 
guage of the North prefers the ending is. The Scottish writers of the 
fifteenth century employ -w throughout. R. Rolle (Prick of Co7i- 
science) uses generally es. An Alphabet of Tales has the same variety 
of usage that we find in Lacy's m.«. A remnant of the old weak 
gen. in -an is .«een in lujr hwbonde bed. Liifda>jes is a compound 
noun. ("f. lU'iiwulf, 7!l.'>. Chaucer has lifes dayes ; Piers Plotnnan, 

lufd.n,,.. 

The dat. sing, is not inflected. 

All cases of the plural end in -,<, -es, -is, -ys, -us {-us once. Cf. 
ten Brink, Sprache, 62). As in the ending of the gen. sing, -es is 

the most frc(juently employed ending es : 108 ; -us : 45 ; -is {-ys) 

29. -« is used in forming the plurals of nouns of Latin or French 
origin, as opynions, supersticioiis, e.viorsion.'f, etc. There are weak 
])lurals in rhilderen (once chiider), iien, hre/>ereH. fy'ii is a common 
Northern plural (iMurray, Dialects, 158-159), but cf Lekebusch, 
Urknndotspraehe, 101 ; and Chaucer's frecjuent eyen. 

Umlaut i)lurals are men, women, feet. Hend is not used, but 
handes, hoondes. OE neuter plurals without ending arc folk and /'incf 
(twice ; otherwi.se J'inges). Men has formed a gen. pi. after the 
analogy of the gen, sing. : menus, mennes. 

Pe':)Souns. 

I^ersonid pronoun<. 

First Per. Sing. Noin. / ; Gen. my ; Dat. and Ace. n.e. PI. Nora. 
ur ; Gen. ovre, owre ; Dat. Ace. w^. 



-I MItlillf Kill/Huh Trailixc on lh>- Tni ('omtiiandmeiil.H xxi 

St>eon(l I'er. Sing, Noin. An*, A»ii' ; Cieii. (I'o>so^.<ive I'ron. )/vi, /jin, 
foine ; Diit. Ace. A" ; PI. Ndiii. n»', )/'•"' I CJen. joicn-, j«iov, j/n/r 
(twice); Dat. Ace. ;io(c. 

Third Per. Masc. Noiii. /i*' ; CJen. his (m once); Dat. Ace. him. 
Feni. Xoin. «o/io ; Geii. ht'r ; Dat. Ace. Iiir, hire. Ncut. Noin. (7, 
hit, htl (once); Geu. Aw ; Dat. Aec. it. PI. all genders, Noni. Aai ; 
Gen. Ac (thirteen times); A'lVf, Air, /ur^, A"'", /"''•; Dat. Ace. 
Aj"» (forty-onetimes); /ie»i (ten tinie.s). 
Demoiixlmlive Pronouns. 

Sing, for all cases ^w, Ai'. PI. At^e, Pe-*e, fmn, /o. The Northern 
forms Ai and Ai'* do not occnr. 
Relative Primouii:<. 

The relative pronoun is rejiresented by the simple Aat, or by n-hi<;h(e) 
in combination with the article A- Aat is often appended to this form, 
the result being A nhiehe /»it. In some instances the relative is 
omitted. At for A'< is not used. Bokeuam, however, has at fre- 
ijuently. Whom (Ace. Sing.) is used once. 
Interrogative I'ronoiiH)>. 

The following forms are found : how, hoo, ho, what. 
Adjectives. 

Practically all traces of declension in the adjective have disap- 
peared. Alfe is the plural in all instances but three. A remnant of 
an old (Jen. PI. is seen in alltir. 

The comparative ending is -er, -ur ; the superlative -st(e), -e.ftc, 
-ni>t€. The redinidant periphnistic superlative is also employed : moxte 
tikurcKte, etc. For the widespread use of this form in the fifteenth 
century cf. Pound, The Comparifon of Adjectives in the XV and 
XVI O-ntiirii, p. 1«. 

Verbs 

The infinitive retains the full form in -en, -yn, on in thirty-three 
instances, ends in -e in eighty-four and has no trace of the old declen- 
sion in forty-eight instances. 

The 3 sing, jires. indie, generally employs the ending -eth (-ith(v), 
•tdh). The forms in -elh appear in about the proportion of ten to one 



xxii James Finch Eoynter 

to tliose in -s Some of the c:i>e.s which have been counted as 3 sing, 
may be 3 pi. with the same ending. lu the face of grammatical con- 
fusion in dependent claii.ses where the verb is removed some distance 
from its subject, it is difficult iu all cases to determine which number 
liie writer li;id in mind, since he uses the two endings for both .sing. 
and pi. Of the thirty-five instances where the -s ending occurs 
twenty-one are furnished by the verb .<at/e(n) (saith, scith occurs 
twenty-four times ; .>•«('< once), tcche^, fekea, /efies, bfeke.% shelve-'', lettes, 
dwellea also appear. The ending is -t in hajiprt, sctidef, .^pillit, kepit, 
oppreAfif, and semd. 

The 3 pi. furnishes the only examples of [jlurals in -•■■■. Of eighteen 
such cases fourteen are furnished by the verb do. The plural ending 
is otherwise -e, -en. There are forty-seven 3 pis. in -e, -en. 

The imper. is sing. — , e, -ctli(e); pi. -efli(e), -iitli. There is no 
imper. in -(b)s. 

Tiie pres. part, ends in -iin/e, -ymjr, -yn. There is no instance of 
the Northern -and. 

The i)ast j)art. of weak verbs ends in -rdr. -</, -id, -iid, -de, 
-(«)'(«), -eih{e); of strong verbs, -en, -on. The preservation of the 
-n in the strong verb is a characteristic of the early Northern dialect, 
where the past part, had dropped the prefix. In the South the -n fell 
off in the fourteenth century, while the jjrefix was preserved. Still, 
the retained -n was the rule in the Loudon language in the second 
(juartor of the fourteenth century fMorsbach, Schriftfprrirhe. 142). 
The prelix is emj)lc)yed here in a few instances ; it appears as ';-, ;'-. 

DiA I.E(T. 

Fortunately, wc are not compelled to depend upon tlie (>xtromely 
precarious test of dialect to determine the liouie of the writer of this 
M3. This information is furnished by the scribe himself. At the 
time when this Ms. was written Middle English dialects were confused 
iu their writing to such an extent that very little depenilence can be 
placed upon the tests generally set up for the determination of dialects 
at an earlier <late. It is at once apparent, however, from the sum- 
mary of the phonology and grammar given above that, so far as these 
tests can be applied, the basis of the dialect is East Midland,' which 

' Such forms as -us, -!/■/, -ul, frecjuent enoiigli in this ms., are given by Morsbach 



.1 Middli- Klujiixh TrmtUc on the Ten < 'ommandmentn xxiii 

had at tlii;' ilate practioallj come to be the prevailiug form of writing 
for all dialects.' 

Mitllaiul characteristics of the writing are : — 1) OE = ; 2) WS 
ell ( hreakiiig) - « ; :{) OE /no- ivh- ; 4) OY. ac = sch; 5) OE c is 
palatalized ; G) the verbal system exhibits a predominating niimher of 
Miillaiid forms ; 7) the pronoun shows hem and here for /am and fieire^ 

Northern are :— 1) OE a=^a\ 2) WS la (breaking) -^ a ; 3) OE 
tc^m- in mil; 4) OE «'• is un palatalized ; 5) the verbal system 
employs the present indicative sntHx -s, and the past part, -it (Cf. 
Morsbach, Giammallk; 7). But the following distinctive Northern 
characteristics are wanting : — 1) 7H- for trh- ; 2) -cht for j< ; 3) pre- 
sent part, in -andc ; 4) the demonstrative pron. A"', /'"-'* ; 5) in.sertion 
of I, y to indicate the length of preceding vowel a, <", 0. Furthermore, 
specific Northern words are sparingly found : — _f/«rand ded each once, 
pick ("pitch") twice, and lill three times ; kir/:, at, barn, hende, 
sttmen are not used. 

There are, indeed, a few characteristic Southern writings: — 1) w- 
for «7i- ; 2) OE y ^= u in four instances ; 3) OE / — v initially once. 

It is no easy tasl; to draw dogmatic conclusions in regard to pecu- 
liarities of English dialects in the fifteenth century, a time when every- 
thing was linguistically unsettled and uncertain. It is difficult to say 
how far a Northern scribe was influenced by the manner of writing in 
tlie Midland district lying near him, or to judge accurately the 
weight that the rising standard language had with a friar of Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne iu the second quarter of the fifteen century. 

In view of the preponderant JNIidland coloring of the writing in 
this text, together with the unavoidable assumption that the Ms. is a 
copy, the conclusion naturally lies that the original from which John 
Lacy copied was an earlier Midland MS. In copying, the Northern 
scribe followed fairly faithfully the writing of the original, altering 
the text into the manner of his own writing in no methodical fashion, 
with little care, seemingly, as to which form he wrote. 

{OrammatH, 7) an characteristic of West Midland in contrast to the -es, -ed, -el of 
fjLSt Miillnnd. This variation of vonvl in the unstressed sylable is so widespread 
even in the fourteenth century that no dependence can be placed upon it as a 
dialectic criterion. 

' Eiui-rson, Hitiory of the Engl'th Lanyxiage, 79. 



A TREATISE ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 



The Mani'scriit 

The Tract on the Ten Commandments here printed for the first 
time is taken from St. John's College, Oxford, ms. 94, fol. 119-fol. 
120. a vellum folio, 10 J X 7 inches, of the first half of the fifteenth 
century.' The manuscript contains one hundred and fifty-one folios, 
and is diviiled into fifteen chapters. Bound with a heavy dark green 
binding (litth. century), it is in a splendid state of preservation. The 
text is beautifully illuminated throughout with many fine miniatures 
in colors and burnished gold. A few of these miniatures are partly 
scratched over ; one of the figures on fol. 1 b has been cut out. The 
chapter headings are written in red, and the Latin in the English text 
is underlined with red. The manuscript was formerly in the posses- 
sion of John Bellingham, whose name is written on the original 
binding. It is not mentioned by Bernard, Catalogiis Librorum Manu- 
seriplorum .... in Unum Collccti, Oxford, 1697 ; but it is fully 
described by Coxe (1852). 

Although it is evident that different parts of the manuscript were 
written at different times, the writing throughout is clearly that of the 
same scribe. It becomes gradually more uniform as he proceeds. At 
fol. 127 the writing changes perceptibly, growing larger in size and 
more angular in shape ; but about fol. 130 it regains by almost imper- 
ceptible degrees the form preceding fol. 127. Between the lines and 
in the margins there are frequent corrections of and additions to the 
text. These are, however, of but slight importance, merely the correc- 
tions of such errors as a penman will naturally make in copying, — 
the insertion of words carelessly omitted, or the altering of clearly 
mis-copied forms. There is no re-writing of seriously involved or mis- 
understoo<i passages. Some of the alterations of the text are in the 
hand of the first copyist, both at the time of the first writing and at 

'Two dttes ftre found in the us.: 1420 and 1434. 



6 James Finch Roynter 

the time of a later revision ; \\lule others are in a second hand, — prob- 
ably that of Roger Stonysdale, to whom John Lacy, the first scribe, 
willed his book. In the foot-notes tlie iirst hand is denoted by A, the 
second hand by B. 

Coxe, Catalogus Codieum mss qui in Collegiis Auliisque Oxoniend- 
bits hodie adservantur, Pars II, p. 26, gives the following description 
of the contents of the manuscript : 

1. Commemorationes de Sanctis, tabulis pictis, numero xxxvii., 
illustratae. ff. 16. 

2. Kalendarium. fol. 10. 

3. Horae B. Mariae Virginis, Litaniae, Officium defunctorum, 
Orationes()ue, hie illic tonis instructae musicalibus. fol. 17. 

4. Orationes privatae ex SS. Augustino, Beda, Thoma Aquinate, 
et Augustino. fol. 102. 

5. Orationes aliae, Psalterium S. Hieronymi, etc. fol. 108. 

6. Commentarius in Decalogum ; Anglice. fol. 119. 

Incip. praef. " Takuth heed and je mow uuderstonde that God has 
gifen us ten commawndementis. " 

Incip. comment. "The first' commandement of God, Non adora- 
bis deos alienos, That is thou sallt not honor no fals godes, rijt as oure 
Lord God has saide." 

7. Septem peccata mortalia, opera misericordiae, sacramenta, etc. 
Anglice. fol. 126b. 

Tit. i. "The semfne deedly synnes." 

8. S. Hieronymi ad Demetriadem epistola in capitula quatuorde- 
cim distincta, subjunctis aliis quatuor capitulis ; praevia tabula ; 
Anglice. fol. 127. 

Inscribitur, "Heer begynneth the pistyll of Seint lerom the wiche 
he wrotte to a mayden Demetriadem ' . . . . " 

Tit. cap. XV. est iste, ' ' How that a man or a woman schal doo when 
that douocion ' is withdrawen, and how that thai schul stonde stabul 
in the loue of God." 

9. Tractatus de confessione ; Anglice ; fol, 142 b. 

Tit. "Heer begynneth the trety that perteyneth to confessione." 

' Ms. firste. ' Ms. demetriade. 

' So the MS, 



.1 Middle English Treatise on the Ten Commandments 7 

Iucii>.', " Confession may iioujht ' been departith for to telle to oou 
prest and make open." 

10. Sontentiae ex 8S. Patribus coUectae. fol. 148 b, 

11. Carmen de confessione ; Angliee. fol. 149. 

Incip. " Now to the honor of God and the blessud Vlrglne Marie 
se' clene." 



' Mb. ooustb. 



Oi itc pro nniina (ralria Johaim'ia lacy anachorite de ordine 
fntlnim predicatoruiii noui Ciistri super Tynam qui hoc pn- 
nmriunt de<lit domino Rogero Stoiiysdale Cape//ano ecclene 
snicti Nicholui noui Castri super Tynam ad totUHi tempus vite sue. 
et post mortem predicli domini Rojxeri. volo ut tradatur 
alii prrtsbit<TO dic/e ecclwie scciimlum disposicio«cm 
dic<i Rogeri ad tfrniinum vite sue ; & sic de prpsbiteio in pjrsbiterum 
in endcni ecch-dia reinaneuduw dumiuodo duraucrit ad orandum pro 
anirna prpdicti Ioha?inis lacy Anachorite. Anno donitni milleaimo. 
CCCCnio XXXiiijto. 



Prevelh ' for pe saul of frerc Ion lacy Anchor, and Reclused in 
I'O new castel upon tynde ! ]>e wiche I'at wrooth |>is book, and 
lynined hit to his awne u.-c. and aftur to othur, in exitynge hem 
to deuocion and prayers to god. And )>erfor, for Jie 
(fol. 101b) blessingc and loue'? of god And ourc hidy ; And of seint 
(fol. 102) Michael, And of him fat made l>is book, I'at neuer 

man ne woman lete departe ]>e engeliche from ]>e 
latyn, for diuors causes fat been good & lawful to my felynge. 



Incipil protorju.<< — id est prelocnsio. 

T:ikuth heed & ^e mow undurstonde fat go<l has gifen us ten 
commawndementis. |>at is. |vit ille a eristcn man religeus & 
seculor awt ' for to kepe partitly. as fai wol faf )'cr saules. 
And fit' may ye se be many re.«onnes. ffor man was pn'ncipallv 
ordayned for to be obedient to god and to drede him. and for to kepe 
his commaundemciitis. As saloman sais. De.um time. <£• maiidata eius 



' This paragraph is in Inrge gold letters. 

'The t is above the line by B. 'Above ibe line by A. 



10 James Finch lioyster 

observa. ^[ Ano)>er rosou is. J'nt god has gifyn his malison to idle |'at 

doos agaynes his biddynge. Psalm. Maledicti qui dedinanl a mandatis 

iuiK. lu deutrono»i(o. xxviij. wher I'at oure lord god 

(fol ll't .11 o 

sais. ■' if )>ou haf my commaundementis in despite. 

and settist )»am at litul. )'ou sallt haf my malison in 
towne. and witliouten towne. •; ffor waryed salle be ]mt comith of 
fe. % That is to say. Thi childere?). if pat' pai followen yi wayes. 
pal salle be waryed. je and I'iue howse. & |>i bestes. )>i corne. and 
alle ]>at perteywnethe to ]>e. ^1 And ]>erto ]n self ° salle haf my meleson 
wel'C)- \>at )>ou ' gast in. or ))ou gast out. & wydwr )>at euer ]'0U gaste. 
euyl day salle J>e betyde. and J'e payne of helle to ]'i rewarde. % ffor 
to hem salle god say. Ite maledicti in ignem eteTnmn. qui paratits 
est diaholo. & angelis eius. That is! God schal say at )'e day of 
iugcment. Go je fro me. je waryed in to )'e fire of helle. fat is 
dijth to I'e deuil. and alle his angelis. & to alle J'am ]Hit hathe my 
maleson. llbr )>at be ])00 j'at han my coHimauHdementis hi despite, ffor 
seint grcgor says. ^] ffor pTouinge of luj. i^ caMinge forth of pe werke. 
^ Bot to Jiam saith god. J'at obediently & mekely kepitlie my com- 
mandenie»tis. he schal haf my blessinge go he in. go he out. and 
joure cliildur. & jowre bestes. &, jowre come. & hous. & alle )'at 
tille jowe langes! & wid»r so je tuvne. je salle be blessud. & good 

day salle ^e haf & ioy'f WitAouten ende. ffor to )>am God 
^'~° ■ ~' salle say at fe day of iugement Malhei. xxv. Venite 

benedicti patris viei. parcipite regmim quod nobis pAratxm est ab 
originc mundi. ^ That is, sait god. comithe je )>e blessed chirderen 
of my fadia-. & take 50 in possession pe kyudoom ]mt is maad redi to 
50W fro I'e niakynge of )>e worlde. 1[ je schul undi»-stonde ]>at J'eer 
been mm men & weinen. & Jmi say )'ai may not kepe )'e ten co?n- 
mandementis of god. and pai say |'at I'ai been so hefy and straith to 
)>am )>at j'ai may not kepe ['am. ^ Alle pese been undiscret & unre- 
sonabul. & not wy.s in gouernayle. ]mt say so wilfully. % ffor iieer pai 
putte agret defauthe to god. l>er as may noon been. % tfor if ))at he 
co»imau)ulethe his preceptis for to be kepid up payne of deedly syn 

' In the margin by .V. 

' Tlie / in set/ is written over an 

'//at pou is repeated and struck out 



A Middle English Treatite on the Ten Commandments 11 

to alle degrees, both to religiiM i% to seculer. to wedtlethe. & sengelle 
noon acccpte. but it were so bot |'at |>iii niijth kepe paiu if pat ]>&i 
wolde. it were ngret dcfaute i;i god. |'er as may noon been. ^[ ffor 
he gnf neurr p)-<'cepte. ne cowimaujidenieHt to noon of his resonabul 
creturcs \wt |>at |>ai niowen kepe fam so rosonabully if |>at t>ai wol. 
|>cit I'ani necdeth nojt to syuge dcedly. if |'at )'ai wol trauelle 
gostly. for by \>\6 trauelle gostly. we ouerconie }'e deuel. |'c 
world it J>e tlesche. & for to haf rewarde in ))e blisse of heuenne. 
for I'is jwuer hath J^ .«aule gifen of god be grace to ilke acristen 
men & wemen. ^i ffor we reden in J>e gospel. Mathei. xix. luce, 
xviij. |>er cam aman to criste & sayde to him. good maystur. 
what good I'inge sallc I. doo \>at. I. haf euerlastinge lijf. % & criste 
answarde him & saidc. kepe |'ou )>e commau)ideme;/tis. if ]mt l>ou wolt 
cntre in to euerlastinge lijf. ^j So ye mowe undwrstonde ]>at god con- 
fernieil it in |'e olde lawe sik«rly wreten into tabuUus of stoou. & oure 
sauior criste ih'-.'iu confermynge |'am in \>e newe lawe euerlastanly into 
JH> tymc of doom. *] Than l>is jenge man saide to criste. I. haf kepid 
alle I'cse |>inges from my jowthe* what salle. I. do mare. 
^ ° ■ ' Than crist saide to him. if ]'ou wolt be perfit. go I'ou 
A" selle alle Jiinges fat )>ou hast, and gif it to pore men. & I'ou salle 
haf trcsur in heuenn. & come <fe ' sue |'ou me. ^j Now takcth heed 
je wrccches A kaytifes. |>at sayen J'at it is strayte & harde for to 
kepyn |'e conimandementis of god. and grucchen ]>er agaynes. ^Lo 
I'OU wrechee. if fat god had gif l>e a conimaundcment & acharge. J'at 
|>ou schuldest haf sold alle ]>at I'oii haste : & gif it to pore men. )>en 
J>ou wreche woldest haf playnned & grucchud sore a gaynes god. ^] If 
\>at fou grucche agaynes \<e wordes & doctrine of oure lord ihe«u criste. 

, . wer hat he seith in he gospel of seint Matheu Mathei. 
ul est, hoe fine ' ' ' , . , . ^ ■ 

ui earn fonru- ''• ■""'* wec/iaocri*. Ego antcni dico vobis. Quia omnts 
piteat: mirhnivii qui viderit muliercm ad concupiscendum earn, inm 
fst earn in corde mechaiug est earn in corde suo. ^\ fforsothe. I. seie to 
tuo. ^ id est. jQ^ fjjjp ^j,j ^iigrj man ]'at seeth a woman, for to 
coueyte hir ! now he hath don lecherye bi hir in his 
herte. fis he seith generally to alle. ^j Then if ['at l>ou be vesid or 
meued. fen ' be )>enke |>e of fi rewarde fat ))0U schalt haf of god for 

' Abore the line by B. * Above the line by A. 



12 James Finch Hoyster 

)>e . . . And taketli heed. «t be peiike ]'e wel )>«t yer been, a j>ou?ant 
men & wemew of religius. tt also of seculeres )'ot been fairer, scliap- 
loki/r. and mi.^tliior \n alle. ]>e wilke pat been fill clone & cbaste in 
lijfinge. and al yer lijf dayes be bou«de per to. ]'e wiche |>ai kepe' ]<nm 
fill clene for godes sake & rewarde of blisse. Ysidorus de sitmmo bono. 
Qui del prccepia contempnit audire. devm iwu diligit. iVon ;jotes< a 
domino merere qxiod petit qui von imlt audire quod iussit. ^Thre 
]>e firste commau«dementis of god teches us. bow ]>at we salle loue. & 
beren us queerafully to cure god. ^| And )ie semenith oyer com- 
maujidemefitis. telleth us how ]>cd we sidle loue oure euyncriston. & be 
trujc to oure neijbn/-. for he ]'«t is an hundw?- niylefroni ))e. is as wel ]>i 
ueijb((r as he pot dwellcs allwr nexith pe. ^' These ten co7)!niaundenie/t- 
ti.i wrot god wtt/( is fyngi(res hi two tabulles of stoon. id^ 
ed. ])er spiritu?n ,<ancfu?n. & gaf pam to nioyses. & bad him 
teclie pam to ]'c jiepul of isrle. pat weren undi/j- pe ledyuge of nioyses. 
& uaron. is bropcr. ^ Seint Austin sais. Alle pe co?fimandementis of 
god. been referred to eharite. flbr withoute?! eharite. per may no man 
be sauid. And pe groujtde of eharite stondeth in pe loue of god. &of pi 
neijbur. Seint ion saith in his canon. ^ He pat loueth not his broper. 
pat is his nei;^b!n-. pe wich pat he seeth alle dayes. how pan may he 
loue god. whom he seep not. ^ Tlier fore seith. seint' ion. he p'/t saith 
pat. I. loue god. & hatith bis neigbwr. he is alier. Avgualinux. Qui 
sine earitale. nemo potest sauu!,i esse. Omnia precepta diuina. refentntar 
ad caritatem. Caritas est perfeeta dileccio in deitm & pro.rimum. ^f I 
pat wrot pis booke. spake oones with aman of perfeccion & of credens 
pat tolde to me of avenge man. & of ajenge woman )'e wilke pat he 
knew. & be fel in his tyme. hit happet so pat pis ?enge man sclan- 
d«red )>is jenge woman with an ol>e/- man. & it was not soop. pis 
woman toke it wo«d«r hefy. wa?i pat scho herde per of. And aftwr 
mony dayes pis woman felle wondar. seek, pe preste was .sende aftwr 
with pe holy sacrament. & so scho w'as schreuen. & pe preste asked 
hir. if pat scho were in eharite to alle men ct wemen. it in wil to 
forgif pam. And scho auswardc & saide. 1. forgif alio men & wemen 
saf oonly oo man. pp wilke scho saide ]'at fals sclanf/nrid hir. & him 
scho saide scho woldc noufr forgif. And J'en saide pe preste. nay 

' /)<; above the line by A. 
= Iii the margin by .\. 



A Middle Ktiglish Treatise oti the Ten Commatidmenis 13 

floujtor it may not be pis. |'ou moste forgif to allc. it woM not be. so 
[■o prfste tok |>c holy sacrntncnt & went hooni. so it fel ]>\i woman died. 
Soone nfti/r. ]>\s same man Jxit sclau«di(red )>is woman wente up apoon 
adny to remewe his hors. ]>at stood y-tedioed \n gras. or pastur. and 
as he was abowte for to tak up |>e stake, him |>ou5th [>at scho stood be 
. ,j^ sydes him. And he saide art** )>ou silke a woman. And 

scho answarde & saide. I. am |ie spirit of silke a woman, 
it woo worthe |>e saide scho for. I. am dampncd for |'i sake. Bot 
aiioon saide scho. tak pine hors & fache hidur I>e pj-este. So |>e preste 
cam. & coniured hir. A scho saide scho was dampned for scho died 
out of charite. for scho wolde not forgif )>i]ke man pot sclaundi/red hir 
untruly, neu^rles. scho saide. he may haf mercy be co»jtricion & 
jKnans wil pat he is heer. bot per is no remedy to me. per for seide 
.«cho to pe preste. coniure me to sum drije place out of pe way. pat. I. 
may haf. vij. foote of drines A so he ded. & sodenly scho was agon. 
/(i<*o6i. ij. Qui offendil in uno'. f&cius est omnium reus, id est. circa 
caritatem facit. in qua pendent omnia, silicet. quantum, ad vitam 
eternam. 

The Jirsle commauudemeni of god. 

Non adorabU deos alienos. That is. pou sallt not honor no fals 
godes. Rijt as oure lord god had saide. I. bidde 50W pat 50 
haf studfaste by leue. And studfaste hope. And partith 
loue to god & to 5oure neijbnr. ^ flbr his commaundement. biddeth 
pe to loue him oner alle pinge. wit/i alle pin hert. & saule & mjoide. 
and pin neijbiir as pi self in alle uertues. And so pe childe. to fadur. 
<t modHr. In hiia duobna 7nandatis. tota lex pendei & prophete. 
Mathci. xxii. ysidor'i soliloqiiiorMva. Quod tibi fieri vis. fac alteri. 
Quod vlsjiere libi alteri non inferai. ^ Agaynes pis precepte. & com- 
mandement of god. doos thre maner of men. ^ pai pat trowen & 
truste in wyche craftes. ■' or be pe deuilles crafte sekes helpe of seke- 
ncs. 5i or elles helpe' of defens agaynes par enmyes. 
& foos. ^1 Or elles for to arayse pe deuille for to with 
ho pit staal pe good. ^ Or elles for good pat is hud. or stolon. ^ Or 
gar charrae per childuren.' or bestes. And also of alle coiurisons ]mt 

< The I in ehUdurtn is in the margin by B. 



4 James Finch Royster 

been euyll. ^ And also expermentis. And of turnvnge of loues. & 
of keyes. & of sorcere m rynges. ^| And alle o\er sorcereus & 
charmus. & writtes. % Alle fese mester men. & wemen. Jiai been out 
of fe feith of haly chircbe. And do agaynes )'e co?«mau?Klement of 
god. ^ ffor ' nofmge of )>ese ' usud viith outen 1)6 consel of uertues 
lijfers. & rijth good clerkes. & \er to uertues in lijfinge. ^ And also 
Jier been many & ' ban been by fore tyine. )»at ban balde many euyl 
opynions. botb men & women agayues )'e feitb of baly cbircb & 
agaynes studfast fieth of baly cbirebe wilfully, ^j Lo wat seint Aus- 
tin seis to alle silke men. & wemen by forsaid. ^ l)ese maner ' of men 
ban * lost ))e byleue ' he sais of cristondam ^ And )>ai beem felaus 
to payni;7HW & to hetlienme« and for to baf pa3'»iue eudeles. bot it be 
so Jiat J'ai baf repentans her. & do penans fer fore. Raimundiis (licit. 
^ Regidariler. Omnis dunnancia quoeumque predictorum modorum. 
uel alio simili fiat prohibita est. & maledicta a deo. el sancta eeclesia 
taniqxi&va. ydolatviam. & infidelitas. •[[ Now j,e wemen taketbe je heed, 
for Jier been many of yow )>at errith be mys byleue. & obstinat of wyt 
of ;?owre chikleren ]>at been new boren or |'ai been eristujined. & aftwr 
maken supcrsticions. )'e wicbe been not lauful. and J'ai been reproua- 
bul. As for to lay it i?( a syf bifore any ojier j'inge. because of 
wicked wijthes. & ]>er to bred & chese. or* elles of ))e 
fadifr of )>e childe sum preuy clooth. ^| or elles in. 
tyinge to stool, of forme, and so of o]>er J'inges ]mt is not lauful. 
^ Bot je schul undnrstoude ]Hit. I. writte Jns ]Kit 58 scbul haf con- 
sciens per of. and for to amende it in tyme to comynge. ffor. I. do 50W 
to witbe. it is not lauful. for be silke supersticions )'e wicked spirit 
oftetymes hath puwer of ))e cbilde. alle his lijf dayes aftur in suwi 
mater aRur ]>e child haath disposicion to. & mekcl of jowre defaute. 
^ Bot je wemen. je mow undurstond ]mt )'is is lauful & moste 
sikwreste to jowre cbildi/ren bo)>e for body and saule. and moste 
sikwreste to jowre cojisciens ^| Whan ))at ]'e childe is boron, wrap it 
in fay re lyjinen clooth & warme. and lay it as je see beste for to doo. 
Wi't/* outen ony supersticion be forsaide. and Jian make )>e signe of J'e 
cros jier up on ! and as sone as je mowen & in bast lett make it 
acristen man. or woman. *i\ Seint gegor rehersith in his'' dyalogus. 

' Written in blacker ink by B over an erasure. 

' Above the line by A. ' Tlie r is above the line by A. 

* han lost /« byleue is repeated and struck out. ■'' .\bove the line by B. 



-•1 Middle English Treatise oh the Ten Commandmeuls 15 

•f aiew. |>(it was an uncristen man. was saued from pe pouer of wicked 
.-jiiritus be signe of \ie cros \>at he merked up ' on bini. & J>er power was 
adniw be cause he made |'0 signe of |>e cros up on him ]>a\ mijth do 
hitn 111) durans. ^i And alsso we reden of an o]>er iew on l>e same 
wise, of |h; feste inuencio saiicli crucis. ^i Hbr je schullen fyude |)is 
for |>e beste &, moste sikureste. to [jam ))at been cathecumin«.s. with 
outen ony super^ticion before said, saue oouly |)e signe of l>e cros. 
^ Also agaynes J>is commaundement men doos [lat for hope of mannes 
help 1)01 leues fe serues of god. or ]>at brekes |>e co7n- 
maundementis* for hope of lordschup. or for hope of 
wyninge tH)r;ie crafte of trauel leues his preers. or lettes for to go to 
chirche on \>e sonday to serue god. %ffor god sayde be leremi ))e 
prophrte. wereid been J>ilke men. |>at for any |»inge leues godes serues 
I'ot he schuld do. Or for jernynge of ony godes.' doos wilfully 
synne. leremie. xlviij. Maledietug qui opus dei facit fraudulenter. uel 
«ecunduni aliam literam necligenter. ^[ The )>rydde maner of men is. 
when |>at aman wol for lone of his flesche! or delite. or for drede of 
bodely payne. or for drede of deeth. or for fauwr of man. wol do 
agaynes pe biddinge of god. & of his commaundementis. he what euer 
he be. he has in his wille forsaken him. and has maad fat his god. pat 
was }>€ cause of brekynge of hi.s commandementis. Malhei. vj. iibi. 
cn'im est thesaunis tuits'. ibi est <(• cor titum. jrrej/orius. Probacio 
ergo' dtleceionis. est exhibicio operis. ./lujrustinus. hotno ab homine 
colitur ijxiod pre ce<erw diligitnr. The undtfrstondinge of ]>ese textis is. 
fat J>inge ]>at ]>o» loueste meeste. and ]>at fou erte moste bisy to wynne. 
or to plese. & lafuste to lose ! fan |>i wille & ]n deede schewes welle fat. 
fat is fi god. *■ ffor it is fe commauHdement of god fat fou sallt loue 
him ouer alle finge. & fi neiybwr as fi self in alle goodnes & lauful- 
ne.«. Bot bi fis it semetwel. alle fingcs fa< men louen agaynes godes 
wille fai make it fer god. ^] ffor gret syn it is to man. or woman, for 
to loue fe creature more fe»i fe maker of fe creature Mathei. x. Qui 
.. 2JS amal palrein. aul matrem. autjiliofi. aut agros. eteetera. 

^ Cure* saueour criste ihe.«u rehersith in fe go.spelle of 
scint Matheu & saith. fat what man. fat loueth fadjir. or modi/r. wijf or 
childe. brofer or sust»/r. lond. or rente more fan me. he is not worthi 

' In the marpin by A. 'Altered by B to goodes. 

* Above the line by B. 



16 James Finch Royster 

to me. *! Xow |>ou man or woman wej'er euer fou be. j'enke Jjou salt 
diee. & ich salle be rewardeth aftu?- his wirkynge aiiur Le salle passe 
he/aies. & sett not ]nn liert on J)at salle sone passe, ^i flfor seiut gregor 
saithe. Presencia (jaudia sequniitur perpetua lamenta'. nemo potest hie 
regnare & gander e cum seculo. & illic regnare eum deo. non meretnr 
post 7no}-tem habere gaudiuni. qui ante mortem, non cognouit it moritu- 
rura. Tj Tlierfore. wen ]>at god visithit pe. wit/i los of godes. or elles 
he taketb to him wijf or childe be pcstile/is. or bl ony oj'cc sekenes. 
fen be not gniching ne grow/nii«ge agayncs ))i maker god. & ]'en putt 
))i wille m to his wille. ffor he taketb aman or awoman we/i ]>nt it is 
beste for \Am. and i)lesinge to him. )>erfor crye fou not ne gret not 
agaynes god. Ne fle not |>ou pe sande of god. fro oo place to anol'cr. 
)>ou ne Jii childeron for no pestylens. ne for no silke nianr)- ]'i»ge. 
^flbr ])ou sall« undurstonde. |>«t it is laufulle. if )>rtt )>ou be seeke for to 
use mcdiciiii(.s to lentbe |'i lijf in goodues for to serue god \i maker. 
Bot for to ilce. or avoyde )'e visitacion of god. I. konnot fynde. l>at. 
\>ai it is Inuful i/( serten. not plesinge to god. Seint. Bernard sais. 
Ther ij no sikor lijf with outeu a clene co^sciefis' wer \>a\. aman 
abidith ileeth witli s^ikifcnes. & resaiueth him w/t/i swetnes 



The sccundc commaundcmenl of god. 

Secun(/u»i mandatum. Xon assumes nomen dei in uanum. That is. 
-ye salle not take ]>e name* of god in vayne. ^i Agaynes pis 
comandement trespas men & wemen in thre man of wyse. pat 
is: he |>at swerith needles, wher pat men wolde troue 
^'^° ■ pam with outen ooth. •■ And anoper is to pa»i pat 

sweritli fals in comyn speche. or in byi«ge & sellynge. 
Quia .vnptum ^^ j^ gaynes co«sciens. i»i pat pai kuowe wel I'at pai 
est s (y«o( swere fals. or swereith pat he can a pinge or knowith a 
menhluT oecuht . ' «r . , i 

on imam <t- l'"^S^ t'"t he knowith nojtn. ^| Also, he pat sweres 
perdes omnes custuj/inabully. & haath in custo))i to swere & dis- 
qui locuniuT membifr. & drawes ly/iime from lyme of oure lorde 
mendacium. ihg^u criste pat is! he pat sweres by his herte. & be 
his ivcn. and als be his armus. svdos. & wo«des. & 



J° c.apitulc 

so of opec dismembri/ige of him. ^^ These maner of 
' In the margin by A. 



A Middh- English Trentite on the Ten CommandmevU 17 

lue upHhiydeth him. \<ai he be cnin man for us. And |>ai syn deedly. 
* flbr rijth as flcsolicly .sekciic" sleelh |'e body. Rijth so duoth 
gostyly sokeiies |>e saule. *! Ezfchiehs. xviij. Anima qwe pecciueut'. 
ijisa iiwrietuT. glossa. El non ertmt in vienioria iustieie quHS fecit. 
idto |)0 tynie he bo raysed froiH deeth to lijf. be grace of contricion & 
penaus doi»igc. A'eclesiastici. J^xiij. Uir inultum turans replehiiwT 
iniquiUUe. et non dincedet a doiiio eius plaga. ^i Also. |>oo fat swerith 
by heuetin. or be crthe. or be oujth |>at is in hera. |>an Jiai swore by 
\<e maker of |>am. and fat ' is as mekel to say. I. take god to wittncs 
[xit maad heuen it erth. fat my word is truth & sooth. And if )>ut 
het be fals. he wolde |>at god bar him fals wittnes. and so for to do 
agaynes his awne techinge. «& his commauiKiemetis. Acordinge 
heerto saithe sciilt austyn. Quid est per deum. wisi 
ugus mus. ^^^ ^^ j^^^ ^^^^ ^^.^ ^^ teitia est deus. nisi per 
deum. Quia per lapidein iurat j'aUum. pcriurus ed. quia non lapidem 

qui non audit, set^ eius crealorem adhibem testeni. 
(fi.l. 121b) ,, ,, • V . . , 

Malnei. V. Aon turare omntno. ;(e</ue fier c€(um Jie^ue 

;)er tLTram. Sit senno nester. «*•<. eM. non. non. Quod 

gUma. ul eM. autein hijs habuudancius est a malo est. ^Qxiare ergo 

... dieit (/omi>in« in eu&nqelio. sit senno uester est. est. non. 

(undtulata. ■ r\ ■ jr- ■ i 

non. Jiesponsio. Quia, affinnacto uel negano. que &st in 

corde debet esse in ore. lacobi. 5. Ante omnia nolite 
.idat. ez inlini- . ^ . . , 

(ratrci met lurarc nenue jicr celum. nenue per terrtan. 
tale exu» fuius • . , , . . 

iuratur. neque per aliud quodcumque iuramentum. Sit autem 

sermo vester. est. est. non. non. ut non sub iudicio 
defidalit. Ensamplul to alle cristen men & wenien. we reden in |'e 
gospelle |>at oure sauyor criste ihwu swar neucr. Bot it were forsothe. 
Or truly. Or in serten. Or so be it. ^\ Neuerfeles. in aiuste & \n 
anopon cause be constrayidge of holy chirche lawe. or londes lawe i»i 
a ' gret cause, so |>at fie ' cause be iusteful and ri;^tful in a ' true cou- 
sciens to j'i witynge. heringe. and knowinge. it i.s lawfull for to swere ' 
be god.' bot in no comyn speche. ne \n Liulne.''. ^[ flbr to schew 
a.«<>oth in amatcr |>at necde.s. |'at is laufull. fiat \>o\x knawest well it' is 
true coHsciens. it i.s lauful for to swere' be god & be noon ofrr.' but 
ncuer fals % (Tor baly writtc sais. The raowj,th )>ot lyeth sleeth Jie 

' Above the line by B. ' In ihe margin by B. 



18 James Finch Koy4er 

saule. ^ Now taketh heed, and je ' mowe lerne wat lougeth to aiuste 
& a rijtful ootlie. % fibr and it be o])er wise usud. it is fals. & lesynge. 
& pfHuri." hi )ie sijcth of god' % leremy Pe prophet. lereinie. iiij. 
saith. |'«t to a iuste ooth. langeth tlire pinges. ^1 The firste is truthe. 
^ The secunde is good profit. ^I And )>e thridde is resonabul doom. 
And if oiiy of J'ese thre pinges faylen from ]>'m ooth J'an is )>i ooth 
ydiil. i*i: gret syn displesinge to god. ou]'e/- for faiier of man. or if fat 

it be agaynes trutlie. & good consciens. ^ Also j'er be?t 
^'^'^ ' ~ sum )>at' han in consuetude in byinge and sellinge. and 

also in coinyn speche consuetudely sweringe. & in dismembri/ige of 
oure lorde ihe.^u crista in custom. & in consuetudo & in Idul wordes. 
I. sai it is deedly synne. ffor fe euyl custom encresith (>e syn. And 
also he ]>at swerith fals vtith avisement. & hath it in custom. ^[ Also 
)ie comyu pcjjul bothe men & wemen ofTendith. bothe jenge & oolde in 
sweringe in comyn speche gretly. & because |'ai han it in custom 
iche one to oyer. & is not imdwrnemed ' & J'crfor ' J'ai haf no consciens 
]>er of. bot )ie syn is greues and agaynes )>e coJ/tmauiidemeut. flbr he 
telles us. as it is .sayde be fore and geues us ensampul. & teches us 
how [)at we schulde usen us to swere/i. fforso|ie. truly. & sertely 
etceiera.' % Bot now )>e comyn sweringe of comyn pe])ul. is be good, 
be oure lady, be seint ion. be heue?m. by my saule. & so of many 
o|'er. I. say it is syn. & an euyl custom & lesinge of grace & displesing 
to god. 11 Causa imtitucioni.'^ est duplex, una. propter Infirmitatem 
hominum de facili dubitancium. Alia eama est. propter intandam 
ydolatrium. J'er fore i« aiuste & constraywnirige ooth hel]>inge of pi 
neijbKr in truthe. it is lauful for to swe be god. Z)ew/ro/iomie. vj. 
Domi)tuMi rfewm tuum timebis. & illi soli seruies. ac per nomen illius 
iurabis. ^f Thre maner of lesinges ))e been. Per;tic(OJ^i(m. r/uod est ex 
auaricia. & nulli proded. set obest. Officiosum e.it. tjaod non ex 
maliciai & alicxd prodest. & alij obest. locosuvi. quod est ex levitate 
Jit. .Ai/i/ustinus in libra contra inendacixim. Mendacium est' ut ait 
awgiustiuus. ffalsa significacio voeis cum intencione j'allendi. Omne ergo 

genu,< mendacij aammo^ opere fuge. quia omne meudacittm 
^ " ■ ""' non est a deo. ^] We rede« of amiracul of oure lady. 

' Above the line liy A. - In the margin by B. 

■' In the margin bv .\. 



A Middle Kngliih Treat inc on the Ten CommandmenU 19 

Ther was a' clerke |>at had gret deuocioH to oiire lady, and dayly lie 
wolde worschuppen hire. neuer|>ele8 he was vicius in. swerynge of 
grette tiothus i;i so niekell |>at god was wrooth with him. And Jien 
cure lady prfid to liir sone |'<it he mi,■^ht been woon of hem J>at schulde 
be saued. And up on aday as )'is clerk was in his deuocions to oure 
lady, .lodenly him |'oujth |>(it t'er stcx)d awoman before him with 
achildo ill hir armus. it |>en |'e clerke spak to hir & seid. woman what 
\» |>at \>ou beriste in |)ine armus. & |>en scho answarde & seid my 
childe it is saydc scho wol you seen it. and )'erwith sodenly he haad 
asi.xth of l>e childe. & he beholdinge l>e childe saujth |>e i;^en of ]>e ' 
childe hangyn on his cheku.-*. |'e armus weren ybroken. |>e nayles ran 
alle on blood, his fle-sch was alto rente, his boniw weren alto broken, 
his herte was taken out of |'e body. And |>en |>e clerke said. Alias 
woraa/t ' saide he ' hoo hath arayed )'i childe |)us. And ]>a,n scho 
answarde & saide. what is he worthy saide scho \mt ]>\is hath arayd 
my childe [uis.' fibrsothe saide |>e clerke he were worthy payne euer. 
fron<o|>e saide scho. |>ou art oon of hcHi pat l>us haath arayed him ]>us. 
hot. I. hnf prayed ' for ]>e to my sone ' for grace. & sodenly scho was 
agoon. And |>e« ]>\a clerk was soty and amendith * hi?n. & mad a good 
ende. Uinceitcius reliergith in gestis anglorum. Of a knyjt ]>at was 
named sire robart of wirsetur aful alnuisful man. & to hem specially 
fat wolde forsake ]>e lustes of )'e worlde. Neuerpeles he had cus- 
tumabull}' an ooth in sweringe with outen consciens & amendenient & 
pis was his ooth wen pat he ' swere by godes spere. or be pe spere of 

god. So* it befell pat pis kneiyth died, and per was oon 

good man pat preid enterely to god for pis kneijth. 
And so up on atyme per aperid woon to pis good man <fe saide. it is 
not pe wille of god pot pou pray for silke asaule. seide he. for he is 

dampned. Then saide pis holy man nay saide he. it 
./. pdTi. 4. Si jjj^y j^^^ gQ {,g j^p j,^f ^^, g^ gjjQjj aman. Then saide 
, ., . . ' pe angel comcth with me. & he ladde him in to aplace 
pertatoTM uii "' paynnes. and per was agret putt. & flanuw of fyre 
apparebunt. ofte tymes comon out per-of loke in saide pe angel. & 

he loked in. & sawje pe kneijt ligge per in brannynge 
to his sijth. & sodenly per coom oon & smott him J'orhout with aspere. 

' .\bove the line by ,\. ' .\bove the line by B. 

' In the margin by A. * The a is in the margin by A. 



20 Jaiim Finch linyster 

c^ I'eru'ith lie iiiaade agret cry. & ]«T\\ith coinen out f1aniiii«,s' of fyre. 
and ]>cr witli )>is good ruau was sodc/dy ]'er he com fro. & )'e angel 
was sode»ly agoo. Then it' is good Jxit we do aftio- pe consel of holy 
writte. for he saith it is to walke wil we han li5th. and to amende/i 
us. for gif pe lijth fayle it is to hite. 



The ]>rifJdc rniniiuiundement of <jod 

TErcium mandaium. Memento quod diem sabbcdi sandifices. That 
is I co)Hmau*!de 30W. pat 50 penken up ou. to halu pe sonday. 
And oper feste dayes ordeyned of holy chirche. Bot agayues 
j'is co)/iinaundeiiient & precepte trespas nieu on thre maneres. pat is. 
wan pat ]>ou loueste more erthely wynny^jge. )'an ])e worschup of pe 
feste of soiulay. and oper halydayes ordeynede be holy chirche. And 
per to pou trauelluste per on for couetise. and )'ou haste not so gret 
neede. bot pat pow mi^thest ' put of to J'e werkeday. % fibr pat is 
brekynge of pe halyday. pat may be reiorned. or put of to pe werke- 
day*? of serueabul werkes. 1| ffor it is lauful men for to 
' " ' " ' worken on pe werke day for per sustinans. ^ And on 

pe halyday to worschuj)pen god in heringe deuine serues. bope byfore 
noon. & aftur. ^ And rijth as a man is bysi on pc werkeday for his 
sustinans for bodely foode. je & suwime for worldly riches bope bifore 
noon and aftwr. rigth so schulde agood ci'isten man be bisi. bope 
bifore noon and aftur. in godes serues iti heringe of matines. masse, 
prechinge of pe word of god. & euynsonge. & complyn. ^| And so 
to spende pe for noon in pe serues of god. & i)i denote p?rers. as A' 
^ater voate.r. aue ?(iaria. & crede. & so of oper siftur pi konninge. & in 
haly poujihiw. And pat pou hast trespast' agaynes god in pilke woke 
before)), ^j And so aftur noon, for to spende pe halyday co?itinually 
in serues of god. ^ Than if pat pou wolt desire for to wethe & 
knowen how pat pou schalt kepen )'ine halyday aft»r noon in pe serues 
of god. A gret clerke kylwarby rehersith and tellith. That a good ' 

'/( has been crossed out with red ink. ' Altered from mi^gthe by B. 

' Altered from Irepast by A. * Altered from Tha good by A. 



.1 Mlddl,- Ku<jli.<>h Treatise on the Ttn Commandmeuh 21 

man schulde visite porere men A wenveu and for to loken <fe enquercn. 
& visiten afturnoones pt>re bednidew men & wenien. \>e \nlke been 
glides prfisiners. it lyeii i;i |>e boondes of god in sore sekeness. And 
t>frto linue no refrcssynge. bot of good nie»( it niercyful. And of lieni 
be to vcwe. •' Bot |>e coiisel of holy writte is. |'at I>ou be oon of hem 

J>at been merciful. & ener liaf |iou mynde of ]'e pore & 
. mercv. ^ ffbr to alle silke god grnuntitb mercy. 

elfmatina. id "salm. Bvaliis qui intellig'it super egenum li: pauperem. 
e»i. niisericor- f^cetcra ttbr to alle silke god grauntith meccy. % So 
d'o- upon I'e haly day afturnoonea to sitte be I'am & com- 

forde {>am ! now oon halyday to woon. & ano|>cr halj- 
day to ano|>er. & so alle abowten. & so for to sitte be hem & talke 
with hem. & comfort ["am be good wordes. &' for to suflur I>er sekeues 

mekely and |>e chastesinge of god lowely. flbr god 
( l'2> fencchith not* dowbul. hcer& hexnes. ^; ffor gif jxit we 

take;i oure sekenes niekely. and gruche not agayne god. 
we schul be with him partyner of his passiofi. & rewarde in \>e blisse of 
heuciine. ^ ffor it is agrct token of loue of god to us. wen he sendet us 
sekenes. or loos of good, or katel. etcetera. Apocalypsis. S. Ego quos amo. 
(irguo & rnxiujo. Ecclesiastici. SI. Infirmitas gr&^iis. sobriam facit (ini- 
mavi. *| Than if we gruchen wilfully ngaynes god. j'en lese we rewarde 
of go<l. for oure unpacie/is. ^' The best remedy is )>e passion of oure lorde 
ihc^u criste. & |>enke if we sulTur mekely. we schullen be partyner 
wi't/i him of his passion \ii his gorie. *,\ And in fis maner for to ' sitte 
be hem and cowforde |>am i« god. alle |>is is gostly almwsdedes. ^f And 
if fou may gif I'am bodely almiM as mete, or drinke ! orbojie in co?n- 
forde of I'am. or clo|>inge aftxr |>i pouer. & so in |'is oo visitacion of 
charite. fou fulfilleste. iij. dedes of nipcey bedely' & gostly. •] And 
l^-n hoom to |'in euynsonge. & so hoom till I'in awne hows, and j'en is 
I'is coHimau«dement keped. & I'e halyday wel. I. spendeth. And I'cn 
for to encrese loue & charite. it is lauful ynowe. for to take in aneijbi/c 
or two. or iij. or as many a.s |'ou wolte. |'ai to come to |'ine. howsc. or 
foil to I'aren. and disporte jow in alle hone.ste & laufulnes. & sitte & 
talken of goodnes. an howrc. or silke atyme. & so ich oon take his 
leue A goo to his awne *'\ Bot je salle undurstonde. je wyn & ale 

' Above the line by B. ' Above the line by A. 

'So the MS. 



22 James Finch Royster 

sitteris. & je dijspleers. & hasardwn/^. fat spenden ))e halyday in 
gloteny & in waaste. & woon of jow destrith ]'at wolde susteyne mony 
mesurabul me?; \n )>e luste of glotene. & alleso wastith jowre good. & 
o]<er me«nes to! and maketh jowre baly ' jowre good. And jowre 
chirche I'e tauerae. ^ pe prophet ysai saith. in fe name of god. ysai. 5. 
ve qni consurgitis mane ad hebrietatem seecandam. & potandum usque ad 
^tespeTam. Ve qui potentes ad bibendum vinum '. & vim fortes ad mis- 
se)idum ebrietatem. ^ lo je glotonw-s & wastwres of ma?ines sustlna?!S. 

heer je*^ mowe here ]iai good warieth jow. & jowre 

mayst«r I'e wicked spirit gladeth jow. & biddith jow 
alle be mery & glad, for ))is wol make jow men he saith. &. I. wol 

rewarde jow m tyme to comynge for jowre ocupacion. 

'^ ' ' 11 Therwith cometh in pride. & settith him in )>e middel 

of alle. and l>an he beginneth to boste & ruson him self of many finges 

jiat he hath not. ne kowde. & alle saien it is sooth. 

^ Then couetise hcrith ]mt. & j'an cometh he in boldely. 
& he cherith ]'am alle. and anoon he bi ginneth for to bargen. and fen 

lacketh not gret o)>us & sweringes and fan is ich of fam 
' ■'■'''*'• abowte to begyle ofer. ^Then cometh in lechere. and 

he lokuth al abowthe fe hows. & fen he settith him downe on fe 
benche. and fen begijineth he to speke. & bringe in oolde storius of 
wemen & of lustus. & ribaldy. & faste he rusith himself of olde synnes. 
and alle laujen. & been glad to here his prechinge. ^j Than cometh 

in glotone fe stuard of fat howsolde. & he cherith fam 

■^ " ^' alle. & bidith f a^n sitte stille & be mery and glad, so 

fat noon of yow go hoom bot it be so he be sad. or a staf in his hoonde 

for fallyng'e. ^Than slowthe herith fis maundement. 

fat is fe marchel of fat halle. & fen he ouerloketh fam 
alle. And fen he chargeth Idulnes to cheren fam alle. & to sitte 

stille. and fat fe cuppe. be not empte ne tume. ^ Than 

at fe laste ende comith in wrath & he bringeth with him 

enuye. & rekujmeth fer acunthe.s. for fat he is tresureer 
of I'ot howsoolde. he chargeth fat noon of hem parte fro7n ofer in 
charite. & loke he saith wen ])atj;euer je com togedwr fat noon speke ' 
good of oj'er. ne of jowre neiybwres. And fen saide f ai alle Amen. 

' So the MS. * of y»c speke struck out with red ink. 



.■I ^fiddle KnglUU Treatise on the Ten Cotnmandvtent>i 23 

^ Loo Je deuilles portures. & eo/isuiners of sustiuans. & wastjires of 
jowre good in |>e s3-nne of glotone. & je eiier in iiede.' 
"* ■ "' A nedy. fer and je were id god gouernel. x,e niijth haf 

plente. And t>e cause of alle |>is. is lac of drede of god. & settinge 
noyt be his commanderaentis. & lustus of ttesclj. & Iduliies of spiritus 
i« goodues. ^i Also |>er been sum ol>er. \>at on |'e lialidai. wol bigynne 
ycr gumay!. I. sai. |>ai bieke \<e eo»iinandeiueHt aftin- I'e doctrine of 
holy writte. he. & his werke beste. & alle pat perteneth to his how- 
solde. beoth ' bou/ide to reste on |'e halyda ' bot gret neede coustrane 
it. & ,iet wolde |>is haf prouidencia. \vit/» reson. % Haue ]>ou niynde 
how put god biilditli pe do. /« txodn. 20. wber pot he saith. ^j Thou 
!<cliult do no serueabul werkes. naiper |'ou. neper pi wif. ne pi childere 
ue pi scruantiM. neper pi strangwr in pi hows, pat is he pat sugurneth 
in pin hows, neiper pi werke beeste. for pe beste may not labur wit/i- 
outoi pe constrayui/ige of man. •{ Therfore holy writt sais. In exodo. 
x.T.rj. Omnis (jiiifecerit optm in hac die morietur. ^\ Bot 
., ■ many be desauied because of wilfulnes. & because of 

Ofnu Kntite. ■'. . iz- i • 7 ■ • 

couetise. & be temptacion. y«iaorus. Mulii decvpnmtur 

a diabolo. & ignorant se esse deceptos. Many been deseyued of pe 

deuil. & it is unknawen to hem. cause wy. for pai wol not knawe it. 

• ffor god charguth pe be his co»»niau;idementis. pat pou sallt reste. & 

pi werke beste. •' Also suwme been bisi on pe werkeday heerly up & 

late downe. for to gete wordely good «.^ riches. Bot wen )>e halyday 

comes p((t pai schulde be heerly up for to go to matines & gete gras & 

pe loue of god. pat tyme pai spene in sluje & luste of per fleche. & in ' 

Icchere. & so pai schul be puniche as abeste. for pe ' loue of god & 

reson lacketh. ^ fiTor pe gratis brekynge of pe halydai is! aman or 

aworaan for to' goon a bowte* syn. or for to gif ony 

occasion of syn to ony oper. ^lujiustinus. Melius est in 

diebas ftttimu arare. uel J'odere. quam choreas ducere. Marci. 2. 

Sabntiim propter hominem fttctuni e.-it '. et non homo propter sabatum. 



In the margin by A. ' Above the line by A. 

Above the line by B. 



James Finch Royder 



Till' j'ourthe rommnrindemcnt of f/od. 

OUai-lam iiHUHlalinu. Exod. 2. honora patrem (uum & matrem 
tiKiiii. ut sis liiiif/eutui .iitper ten-am. qiiam domi7im dem tmis 
dabit iihl. Matlm. 15. Honora patrem tunva. & matrem. & 
qxd mah'dircrit patti itel matri morte moriatiir. This is to mene. I. 
cominniDfde yow seith god. J'((t ^e worschup jowre fadwr. & inad«r. & 
loiicth [lain in jowre liertes. & lielpith Jiam at need. % And bej'enke 
I'c liad not l>ai be. |'ou had not ben. And greuith ))ani noujth ne\]>er 
\n word ue \n deed, ffor i)i alle I'inge \iat is lauful I'ou schalt been 
obedient to l>aiu. and no firre. ^] ftbr |>ou schalt not bre noon of 
|>e coHiiuandenieutis of god ne|'cr for fad«r ue niodu?-. jiou;; I'ai wold 
kurse ]'e perfore. ne for noon o^er man. ffor )>ou schalt loue god & 
drede hi»i ouer alle I'inge. In actibus apostolorum. 5. Obedire oportet 
deo tnagis ryuam hom'mibus. dedit deus sp'mtwn «anctii»i omnibus 
obedientibus sibi. % Morcoupc iiftur l>ai be deede fast for )>am. preith 
for )>ara. &, gar lett massns be songon for Jiam. and opcr deedes of 
mercy and alraus aftiir ]>i power. And j'en ' be hiatus god' \>e his 
blessinge. and j'e blessinge of ['i fadur<& modi//-. & io3-e of l>i childeren. 
& forgifinos of pi synes. ^i Bot gif I'ou do agaynes pis cojHmauHde- 
raent. pou getyste pe sehert lijf it soru of pi childeren. and warienge 
of god. & fadwr. & mod»r. & many opcr angwres in pi lijf je & jeuel 
dayes & pe payne of helie. (/rei/oriiis. ^ni'me defunctonim fjiiatuor 
modi.i absoluunttir. Ant ohlac'ionibas sacerdotum. Ant precibus .muc- 
toniin. And carontmelemosiniii. Ant leinnionim cognaforum. ^ This 
. haly werke seint gregor saith. That pe* sanies of pam 

]'at ar deed arue lowsud out of payne of pin-gatori on 
foure manures of wyse. woon is be masse synginge. The secujide is 
be preers of saintes. And pe pridde is. of per frendes alnnis deedes 
doinge. And pe fourthe is. of fastinge of l>er kosyjines. % Also pou 
schalt worschup ]'i inodio- holy chirche. & hir seruantes. for |>ai been 
oure gostly fadin-».?. Lo haly writte .sais. Denm time, it mcerdotes 
eius sanctijica in tota anirao tua. This is. in alle pi saule drcdeth god. 
& halde his pjvstes haly. and dispise not his seruantes. And also seint 

' Above the line bv B. 



-•1 Middle English Treatine on the Ten CommandmenU 2o 

paule saisi. Ad Qalaihax. vj. Comtmicet autem is qui catherizatnr 
\irrbo'. fi f/ui se eatherizat in omniius bonix. This is. fot ilke n man 
sail? gyf parti of his gooiles tille him |)at techis him godes wordes 
And also soint jinule sais. Ad eorinthios. ix. NescHis quouiam qui in 
merario ojiernntur dc sacrario editnt. rt qui altario deseruiunt. de 
altario participantur. I'd est. Ad t/iimotheni. v. Digiius est operarius 
nureede sua. Mathci. x. Digitus est e)iiiu operarius cibo suo. id est. 
rorinthiorum. ix. Ha & dem ordinauit hijs qui euangelium anunciatit. 
de eu&ngelio uiuere. luce. x. In quaeumque domum intrnveriis primum 
dieile. pax huie doviui. In eadem domo autem manete'. edentes & 
bihrntes que apud illog sunt. Dignus fst em"m operarius mercede sua. 
El in (yuacimKyiie ciuitatem intrauerilis'. et susceperiiit ros viand ucate 
que apponunluT vobis. % And also Jjou sallte worsup |)i gastely niod?(r 
haly chirche in word. |>at is. speke not in chirche. bot preiers and 
louyngcs to god. it to his niod((r & to alle saintes. And auoyde 
iangelingos. scornes. & deniynges. & laujinges. ffor |>ou conieste to ' 
I'i mod Mr holy chirche for to serue god. & for to do no serues to ]>e 
■wicked spirite. luce. xix. Domus mea. domus oracionw vocabitus. Myn 
howse seith god. is an howse of preiers. And also fou salt worsiip fe 
vij sacramentis. of holy chirche. Now her sufficith 
* " ■ ' ' Inowjt to telle \^ for to worschup ]>i fadiir & niodur.*^ 



The Jijflhe eommaundemcnt of god 

Ouinlum mandatitm % Nan occides. ^f That is. I. comniaiuide 
fe fat 1)011 slee not. % Bot agaynes |>is commau?idement doos 
he ["at slee.s witA bond, or witA worde. or wille. or )>at )'ou 
witAhalde.s. or a draweste fro aman his liifinge. or his sustinans. 
Deittronomn. xxiiii. Non negabis mereedem indigentis. & pauperis, 
set eadem die reddes ei preclum laboris sui ante solus occasum quia 
pauper est. & eo nufteHiat an imam suam. ne ' clamet contra te ad 
(/oniinti»i. »(• reputeiur iibi in peceatum. lusticia est reddere unicuique 
quod funm est. luce. vj. Etprout uuliis utfaciant vobis homines. & vos 
facite illis similiter. % Agaynes slaujtur wttA |>ine handes. habetur in 



' Above the line by B. 



20 James Finch Enyster 

genwi. he )>at spillit nia«nes blood, his blood schal be spilled, iij. libri 
regHHi. xxi. of I'e kynge Acab. tt of iesabal his wijf. and of )'e good 
man iiabot And so of many anol'f)' |'at we redeu of in haly writte. 
^! Agaynos mam/.* slau;jtur icith wille. 7o/ianuis. iij. he \'at hateth his 
brol'-r i» ama» sleer. And ho jxit louetli not his brojier. dwellith in 
doth, /o/uinnis. iiij. iSii^uiV dirrrit (juoniam diligo deum. &• frutrem 
suiim (idrrit. mcndax rst. Id eft. Qui enim non diligit fratretn 
.■>iiiim ijiiem ridet. deum. quern non uidet. quoinodo potes< diligere. 
^] Agaynos man slawjtio- in word. In Micha projihetti. God saide to 
I'O folk of anion, for ]>on maad ioy with j'in honde A daujised with ]>'\ 
footli in I'e slautifr' of my' folke of isracl ! I. shal slee |'e. Eccle- 
siasiioi. viij. Xoli de moriuo tuo' inimico gaudere. sciens qxioninm 
oin\u\-< morientnr. ^[ And alio so aseruant. or aminister. if |>at he do 
wilfully with good willo. putteth to deed him. )'at is dampned be 
instes. And also him jvit I'ou lattes dye for hugifr. if )>at )>ou mijthes 
fodo him. • .\nd so him ]<at I'ou eggest to synne. % And seint lerom 
Kiiif. Also if I'at luni hide )'e bred of techinge & good lijfinge. )'ou 
sallto be puniohid for I'i silens. it* for trespas )'at )>ou 
^"^^^ ' " mi;ctheste amende. •' Thorfore he is called an euel 

seriiant i;i \'o gospell. l-at hideth pe besant of his lorte. and ]>e/-fore he 
was putto in pctsou. *] And alle so euil prflatus yat geuith wrawge 
onsampnl to yer suggetis in worde or deede. % Or with haldetb \>er 
gostly fode. or bodely. if )'ai neede. ^re_(;orius in >?ioraliura. Omnis 
qui v»ale uiuit in conspectu eomm in quibws prepositus est. quixm ia 
ipso e.<t occidii eos. Id. est. Clamor mbditonim venif ad deum pro 
ignore ncio A- defect u prelatorum. *' Seint Austin rehersith to alle 
baobitcros it dotraotnres. and to alle |>am I'at geuith yer eris to heringe 
of l>or euillc- speehe. •' tlbr he saith. it is mare syne to hira ' yat 
hoivth ' I'O baobitt-r : )'an it is to him |'at bacbiteth. tl'or he * yat 
spekoth illoe it baobituth. it it were so |'(U he haad not an herer. he 
nii;ith not baobite. And ho saith. bo)>e I'e baobiter. it )'e herer eij'fr 
togediir. it is rijtful )'<jt j'ai Khmi IkiJ^o puniohid. •'And also I'e 
baobit^T it |v foyner. it he yat makuth similacioji. I'at by foren aman 

'of" my ivi>e!»tfd, and slniok oiii with red ink. 

' (Ktuderf struck out with reJ ink lietween :uo .ind i'-.imico. 

^/yU htrfth repe-ited, .ind struck out with red ink. 

" Above the line bv A. 



A Middle flnglish Trealitc on the Ten Commandiiienls 27 

spekuth frundely. & bchyndc his backe preuely. he bacbith & speketh 
illce. And with his frende he gpekith peesybul. and undur )>at prcuyly 
ho settith spies for to do him iiialys. Thou schalt undurstonde. I'ot 
I'c bftcbiUT sleeth himself. & his heerer. and anulluth him |>at he 
bacbituth. ludicare frtilTem e»t. i/ua/ido »iec loquitur, nee comedit cum 
to. ymmo aliot. a consorcio eius sublmhil. 



The Kirte cotnmnundement of god. 

Stxtum mandalum Non mechaberis. That is. I. commaunde 50W 56 
dele witA no wemeu. bot hi truje raatrimoni. %\ ffor now. undur 
I'is commaundemeut b conteyned alle maner of lechere. bothe 
kyndely. and agaynes kynde.' And also gostly lechere." ^ Bot ]>ou ' 
niaiste undurstonde. ["at aman & his wiif ' may syn ful greuesly toged ur 
SI) t-ai may do. je & deedly. & pat is. if ])ai doon operwise pan resow- 
nubul kynde askes. or ony pynte agaynes kynde. Or oonly for 
luste withouteii ony ro-sonnabul causus % ffor* I. fynde 
( ° ■ ~ ' wreten. ffor. iiij. cause aman may uson * bis wijf 
laufully. & pai sufficen to a good cristen man & resonabul. ^1 The 
firste is. pat it be euer kyndely Idoo. and cause of getinge of chiderew. 
% The secunde is. eldinge of dette i« dcwe tymes eyper to oper. ^j The 
pridde is cause of uncontinens And pe fourthe is. for to eschue fornich- 
acion eper of oper. ^ And halsynge of pe wijf schal he' not refuse' 
in holy tyme so pnt scho haf no cause' of noon opcr. Neuerles pe asker 
is |>c trespassur. if pf r be ony defaute. ^j ffor oper wiles it is lauful 
aman for to uson his wijf. & oper wiles not. aftur pe wordes of seint 
Austin, ^y .iln<;ustinus. Christiano cum uxore sva aliqu&ndo licet 
ecnuenire. aliquando non. propter processionis dies. & ieinnorum 
aliquando non Heel conuenire. etcetera.. Item quoeiens dies natalis. uel 
reliquie festiuitales sandorum adiieneril. a proprijis uxoribus est 
abslineBdum. Whet ;e wel pat lechere is agret syn per as it is 

' In the margin by A. 'Above the line by A. 

* Id the margin by B. 

• Altered from ton by B, the u being above the line. 

'Above the line by A. « Altered by B to refuted. 

' Altered from oau by B. 



28 James Finch Rotjder 

mysusud. ^j ffor bytwyne ' a sengel ' mau. & sengul woman is deedly 
syn. je&l'e ful co/iseute to |'e deede w/t/iouten |'e dede doiHge is deedly 
syn in sengul nia» & woman, ffor seiiit lerom sais. euer aptrfit wille is 
euer take for I'e dede in )>e sist of god. be it to good, or be it to illee. 
Matlm. V. Noil 7iieehabeTis. Quia oninis qui viderit nndierem ad 

coneupiscendum earn, etcetera., ^j Avotre is grutitr 
.i.iacobi.^Pec- gymjg ]>e)i sengul. And incestus is more sj-nne yen 
catum«ero«<m jj^,Q„t,.g Jncestus is. lie |.at delith wit/i no»ine. wit A 
coH.wmmadtm , . , , .,.,,,,, ^ . 

fuerit nenerai ^osyn. or wtt/i. amaydon. ];e wich is" called defloraeio. 
mortem. Eot pe grast is & I'e hieste synne of alle is sodomite and 

synne agaynes kynde. •' Incedus. a. quasi ineastus. 
qui cum momjali. iiel cum sanguinea. uel mrgine eoncumbit. Bot 
ouer alle .■'odomite is )'e worste. ffor sainte austin sais. ^ .-ii/jrustinus. 
Quod (oiirjir maius crimen ed. quam cognoscere matrem. ^Item 

.4i(_7Ustinus. Adulterium malumn vincit fomicacionem. 

vincitUT autem ab incedu. peiu.s est cum matre qnam 
cum aliena uxore conemnbere. set omniujn horum est pessiynum. quod 
contra naturam fit. ^ Mi omnes vocantxir sodomite. Masculus cum 
Masculo. uel ffemina cuia Jemina. uel Masculus cumfemina. ^«jrusti- 
nus. Qnocumqae autem modo tale factum exercet jareter^yuam inter 
hominem et feminam ordinate. & in vase debito. vicium contra naturam. 
<£• sodomiticium iudicatur. ^ Also ['is coHimandement forbedith alle 
unlauful cussynges. & clippinges. & ragynge?. & unclene toucliinge. 
ffor he I'ttt towchith picke. is defouled of |'e pieke. ^ A good ma;i of 
religion wol euer be tille ilke ma?i & woman, as J'ouj his prior sat 
besydes |'am & sawe & herde. ^' A good weddeth man wol be to ilke 
awoman. as ]'ou;^ ]>at his wijf herde & sau5e. & pe wijf also to hir 
husboonde. & a yinge man. or woman, as l>er fad»r. or modwr herde.' 
or sau;5P. ^f A seruant man or woman, as ]>er maystwr & maystwraa 
herde or knew. In alle J'inges ]>at perteyneth to syn. or to untruthe. 
^ flbr euer homlynes. & towchinges. & halkus and hemes. & cussinges 
& sitty/iges * & ofte used, bringeth men & women to syn. Bot agood 
man or woma/! ['at dredith god. jinge. or wolde of what so gree so euer 

' sengel is repeated, and struck out with red ink ; the a is in the m.irgin by B. 

' Above the line by B. 

' herde repeated, and struck out with red ink. 

♦ In tiie margin by A. 



rum. 
ju.-tinus 



.1 Middle EiiglUk Treatine on the Ten Commaudmenls 29 

he 1)6. he wol avoyde & schonon al eilke tokenuea. fibr silke maner 
iiiiinges is more for histe. \>en for dcuociou to holynes. y.iif/orus. Non 
rntm perfecte I't'ciiini vlncitur nisi sollicile causa <t oporlnnikis vieiij 
eaueatur. % Scint paiile saitli. it is good (>iiige to amau 
/. forinthio- m,^ f^^ ^^^ towchen a woina;i. And seint austin seith. if 
/nil it be good |>iuge not for to towchen awomau. J'en he 
saith. it is euil l>inge for to towchen hir. ^i So it seniith 
hi holy writte A be doctiires. \>ai howyeue/- amau toche awonia/i. or fe 
woman ))e man for histe. it defilitli |'e saiile saue wit/i i?j 
|Hj sacrament of wcdhjck. ^ Also |>ou man or woniaw 
[•at suffrcstc lechere i»i l>in howse usud. knawynge. Or \>at liou C07i- 
sente-ste to ony oj'cr. Or suflTreste it wytingely. ['er |>at hit perteyneth 
to \<e to amexde it. Or if \>at \>ou mijthe amende it. I. say |'ot |'ou 
schall l)c j)inisched be l>e doome of god as he |'at dooth |>e deede. 
Aflur \>c wordes of seint paule. And aftiir )>e wordes of holy writt & 
doctures. £<"c/esia.«tici. xxij. Preenrre prior in domum iiiam pecc&ta 
ahiciendo. ne tecum veniant m viorte. % Ad romanos. i. Non solum 
ipti faeiunl digni sunt morte ! set qui conseiiciunt. facientibua. 
% /#i<foru3. Aon solum faetorea '. «et & consocios pecc&ti tenere obnoxios. 



The simjlh comviaundemcut of (jod. 

Sfpiimum mandaitim est. Non furtum fades, heer is forbodon. 
Sacrilege. And rauen. And ocur. And symony. Alle untrue ' 
Mesures. And fals wijthcs. & mettes. for to bye be woon. &' 
selle bi aiio|>ur. % Sacrilege is. wen haly j'inge. or unhalued is taken 
out of haly place wit/iouten lauful leue. And also it is sacrilege to 
spende haly chirche goodes in rays use. Or to witt draw truje tythus. 
Otlringos. or rentes. |iat perteyneth truly to haly chirche. % Ocur is 
on diuerse manf-rcs. As if )'ou take outh for )>e lone. Or selle.»t derre 
f jr \>c lone & for J>e respite of |'e lone, or delay of tyme. Or if |>ou 
lene a weed to a day be enprise. & he breke [le day l>ou takest alle. 
And on pe same wise of fermus & of londes. Seint gregor sais. abouen 

■ wij^ Htrock oDt with red ink before metura. 'Above the line by B. 



30 James Finch Royster 

alle merchaundise. of byi/tge. or sellynge. or lenynge. I. kursede be 
)>e ocurer. grtgor'nxs. Unde super omnes merchatores! plw maledldus 
est usarius. Also gif aman gif to alord. or leneth tresur. for \>at )'e 
lorde schulde gif Lis soue a benefice. ^| Also agaynes )»is coj/imande- 
me«t dootli lie J>at usuth any rauen. J'at is he ]'at taketh auoj'er marines 
good wrongely. on see. or londe agaynes his wille. to his 
^ ■" knawinge. or*? to his unknoui;(ge. ^j Rape is. of noHnes. 

or may denes. & wed lies, etcetera.. % Also a gaynes l>is conimau /(de- 
ment doos alle j'ese werkemen of crafte. And )'ese labu/ers. ))at 
maketh euel werke. & selleth it for good )'inge & good werke. knoinge 
wel |)(it he dooth defraude & begylynge to his eujTicristen. & so he 
selleth wit/i oothes his good falsly. and be gilith his brol'er untruly. 
^[ Also I'ese labwreres. ]mt maken couenant be pe day. or be |'e woke 
for to do truly ))er labor, for aserteu of hire, and ))ai fayuen. or 
loytn/7i. or putte/i of fat ]'&t )>ai mijth do in oon day. put it of i« to two 
dales, or aday and anhalf. for couecise. I. say hit is )'efte. ffor ]>e same 
couenant ]uit he maketh for to be truly payed for his labiir. on |'e 
same wise l>e same couenant byndeth him in ]>e sijth of god for to do ' 
truly his labwr in alle l>inges j'at is in laufulnes. nej'er ' in longe sit- 
tinges ne in puttyuges' of: ffor ))e wille of god is. \>at aman schal do 
to his neijbifr. as he wolde ]>at his neijbHr dede to him. % And also 
))is cowmaundemejit forbedith alle maner with drawiuge wrongesly of 
an ofer manues god. And )>at is. we|'er ]xtt it be take priuily. or 
oponly. be sten)'e. or be sotilte. or be fals wordes. or fals niesurus. 
mettis. or wiythes. or fals o]>us & feyned. ^[ Also )>o J'at do not \>er 
dwteus to ' holy chirch ; it as l>oo fat payeth not hir dettus & )>er 
tythes truly. And pat makuth not per ofliinges. & oblacions dewly. 
Or ]>at dooth ony wro/ige priuyly. or apertely to holy chirche. Al 
pet' doos agaynes pe commajaidement. ^j Also po pat wttA holdeth 
werkemen per hire. Or per awne mennes wages, for per t?'auel. or for 
per wages tfe hire, silke men kepit not pis cowmiaHndement. %\ Also 
poo pat oppresit his tenantes. or pat meynteineth fals querellis. or pat 
dooth ony extorsions. or wronges for couetise. or for hatradon. or for 

' Above the line bv A. • .\lteretl from ne by B. 

' Altered from puttynge by B. 
• Altered from />f by B. 



.i 3/i</<//f KnylUh Treatise on the Ten Commaudmetits 31 

iiialis to fi-r sugettus. or to any o|>er. l>ai kepe not |>is comnmimde- 
nic»it. "j And also t>ai l>at binemith ama7iiuis good name, or profit, be 
priue detraccion. In alio |'ese beforesaid and in many o^er is brekynge 
f 1 l"5b^ '*^ I"® cowiniaHndenientes of god. % In deuteroiwm\o. 

5?4.* jS'on negabi.i mercedetn indigently it pauperis & 
cetera. *'\ Luce. xv. Qui fidelis est in minimo! & in maior fidelis est. 
Et qui in modico iniquus eft. <fr ih maior iniqutts est. Item nota. Quod 
Ua eommitlilur furtum. In reparua ! sicut in magna. Item ieronimus. 
ffurtum non nolum in maioribus. set eciam in minoribus iudieatuT. 
Non enim quod ffurto ablatum eM : set mens furantis atteDditur. 
^ Concnpicencia. is he Pat gedureth. ^'< And Anaricia. is he P&t 
krpUh. 



The eij.the comnuiundmenf of god Is Pis. 

Ortnuum mandatuva. Non loquaris falsum testimonium, contra, 
proj-imum tuum. ^ That is. t)ou schalt nojth bere no fals 
wittnes agaynes |>i neijbia-. nei|)cr for loue. ne for no fauwr. 
lie for no drede. ne for no lukur of wynnynge of worldly good, 
rtbr an |'ou do. pou brekest I'is commanndement. Acordinge 
hirto. In leuitico. xur. Non consideres personam pauperis! nee 
MuAiim potentis. set iiute iudica proximo tuo. Mathei. x. Et nolite 
timere eos qui occidttnt corpus! nuirao»i atttem non possunt ocddere. 
Set pocitts eum timere. qui ;>otest <t- animam & corpus per d ere in gehen- 
nam. i. timothe'i. v. Xichil faciens in aliam partem declinando. 
% Agaynes I'is co»nmandeme«te doos Jiai. fat wilfully putteth \>&m to book 
oof»e. or in J'inge |'at is dowtabul. or in plesinge to ony man for fauur. 
bot it ' were i;i aful iuste cause & sekur. ne for noon euil wille. or for 
to hindiir woon. & in fo|>eringe of anoper. I. sai )>o \>at doon so synnen 
deedly. A slen gostly. *i Also ' agaynes Jns commau/idement doos al 
fals rccordurs. gj-luriM. glosers. Haturers Bacbiteres.' detracturus. 
wriers. A sconiers. & lyers. defamurs. & euyll coHselurs & lesyiiniu»i- 
gers. & bostcrs. And \>o pat sayin agaynes co;isciens. & fals brepcren. 

' Above the line by B. ' Altered from Al by B. 

' Altered from bocbilertt by B. 



32 James Finch Eoyster 

and flas feyiied frendes it euil tisers. & fals expositures of holy vritle. 
Prophet. Beitli qui cudodiunt iudiciiim <fc faciunt htdieiam in onmi 
tempore. Hot |)e mowje ))at lieth. sleeth |)e saule *', Anian schulde not 
maken altsj-iigc for noon orjieliche marines profit '. for aman sal not 

Iiarmc bis awne" saule. for to help an Bofer manes body. 

Bot ral>er )'an anian schulde maken alesynge it were 
betitr to balden his pees, if Jiat ho daniot. or wolnot say ]>e so)'e. for 
binderinge of him ]Hit be dredilh or loueth. ^^ Ncucrles po-feccion 
wolde in alle causus aman schulde sai l>e sol)e. And also l>ai ]>at 
baldeth per pees. & saitb not J'c sothe pouj l>ai ko?mc. -wen J'ai been 
askud. ^' Also i?i J'is co^nnuiididenient is for boden specially in for- 
sweringe oi)only to fore aiuges man bcringe fals wittncs. And alle 
ol>er p»-iuy for sweringes in alle causus. And alle fals excusacions. 
And alle fals wittnes for drede. loue. or faux?-, or for wrattbe. or for 
enuye. And alle glosinges. & flatej-iiiges. ^| So by I'is co»imau»de- 
mente. amau .schulde not halde with bis awne fadwr. ne with noon 
ol'cr freend \n )'is world \n afals querel. ne in noon fals opynion. ne in' 
conseWe. for if ]mt be do so wityuly. ]>an doos be agaynes bis f07isciens. 
And i(i l>at aman sueth ])e wille of |>e flescb & noijtb of ]'e saule. 
j'OHianorum. viij. Si enim (tecunrfujji carnem vixeritis. moriemini. 
And if I'Ht we lijfen aftur ])e wille of fe flescb. we scbulen be deed. 
fTor geef aman foluetb ]'e wille of j'e flescb. in as micbe he beritb fals 
wittnea agaynes )'e saule In deutronom'io. x.riiij. Non occidentur patres 
profilijs ne.c filij pro /ratri'6«,s. .set mmsqwisqn^ pro peccato moriehir. 
% Agay I'is commai/ndeniejit do |'ai. ]'at asoyleth \&m \>at J'ui may not 
asoylc. Or byndeth ))am \>at Jiai schulde not bynde with kursinges. 
And I'ai |>'(t pcecheu fals agaynes holy chircbe. And |>ai ]mt auant- 
theth ■ I'an of koHnynge & crafte |'at |'ai konne noi;vtbe. •' In deut- 
n)»omio. .r.c. !■(/. Malcdidus homo qui pevertlt indicium uduene. & 
pnpiin. A- rill lie. 



Above tlie line by A. •.\ltered from ananlhdh by B. 



A Middle EnglUh Treatise on the Ten Con\mandmenis 



N 



The neythe coinvmxindement of god. 

onnm mandatum. Xon coneupi.-<ees vxorem pioj'imi tui. That 
is. I. comran;ide jow. ]>at ye' desire, ne couet noiyt yowre 
iieijbHres wiif. ue his doujti(r. ne his seruant man ne 
woman. nei|>i<r be * way of syu ; ne be way of wronge 



lechere. A |>e wilful consent |>«"to. saf wit/iin |>e hooly sacmraent of 
wedlnck. • And in |'is commandenient )'e ' wille of )>e syn is forbo- 
deu. And not oonly |'e wille of l>at deede of ['at syn. bot also I'e wille 
A |>e desire to haf ony occasions to do lechere. & flesly steringes. or 
delectacions in |>e fleche. flbr luste euer maketh |ie syn. So )>at god 
commaundeth clannes of body from alle maner fleschely dedes of 
lechery out of trewe wedlacke. % And alle so al ' clanes of herte. 
from unlauful couetinge. & desiringe of j'e dede of lechere. and also 
alle lechures delectacions. ^\ The woman |>at taketh ano{>er man fen 
hir howsboonde. scho defilijth hir howsboonde bed. witA a titul of 
forsakynge. And \>e man on ]>o same ' nianer to )ie wijf. Seint 
paule ' seis it is agret sacrament, and ho is defectif. hit wol not been 
unpynisched greuesly. % ttbrnichaturi(« and avoutrerus god salle 
deme fam That is i>i a special doom be here self, he is 
.g oua. aglotunM« lechur. ]<at hath of his awne Inowje. & stelith 

o^er menus. And |>er fore he sail be pyniched. for lechere. for 
glotorme. & licfthe. % Ad hebreos. xiij. ffornicatores. et aduUeios 
iudicabit deus. id est. in speciali iudicio. honorahile connibium in 
omni6u8. et thurus in maculatus. Ad ephesios. 6. Sacramentum hoc 
magnum est. 



' Above the line bj B. ' Altered from pau bj 

' In the margin bv A. 



34 James Finch Boyster 



The tenthe cohimaundement of god. 

NOn concxipisces rem proximi tui. % That is. )>ou schalt not 
desire )'ine neijbi/res good. That is to say. )>ou schalt not 
couette J'i neibures hows, ne his seruant. ne man ne woman 
]mt perteyneth to him hot i« good co«sciens. ne his ox. ne his hors. ne 
his asse. ne no good of his is wrongely. ne)>er for lab!(r ne)'er vi byinge 
ne m sellynge ne bargenige. ne in takynge. neifer ]>i self, ne noon oper 
bi )>e. ^roweriiorum. xxviij. Princeps qui lihenter midit ' meadad om- 
nes ministros habet impios Qnia scriptum est. Os quod mcntitur occidit 
animam. & perdes omnes qui locuntur^ mendacium. 
ICO . -) ^ ^j^^ ^^^ schalt not haf )>i neibwres good' be byinge 

of plee or bargenige for ])i profit & to ' his harme. so I'at )>ou schalt 
not for couetise of his good be gyle him wilfully be no maner sotilte in 
bargeninge to byen of him knowinge wel. )>at he schulde harmed 
I'erbi. ^ And also, if pat ]n neijbur haue a)'inge I'ot he haath. & is 
not wille for to leue it & lijtly it wol stonden him bi stede anofer 
tyme. & )>ou desireste it fro hi?n ; pan )'ou kepiste not )>is commande- 
ment. ^ And als so if ]>at fou plede wrongesly viith ony man for his 
good, and J'ouje ['at J'ou gete it noijth ydth ]'i plee ['at is wronge! 
owj'er his howse. or his londe. be maistri. as )'i desire. & wille were, 
jet doos j'ou agaynes ]>e commaujidement. And also, if )>at ]>ou desir- 
este ony mann«« deeth. for his heritage, or for ony ol>er good, lian fou 
doost agaynes )>is commau«dement. ^ Also |'is cowmaujidement for- 
bedith. alle maner wronges. & fals couetise. & sleijtus. & cautelis. for 
to haue \n nei,xb«res good wraugely & agaynes his wille. ffor j'ou schalt 
not desire wilfully, ne scheche no good of his \>at he hath un rijtwes )'at 
were agaynes his wille for to leuen. Ne )>ou schalt not by of him. bot 
)'at he may selle ]'e laufully. no}'er lond ne renthe. ne noon o]>er J'inge 
knawinge to l>e bot in alle truthe. & iustenes. flbr |>is is haly scriptwr. 
C0Mfermy?ige of l>e ten co?«mau;idementw of god. And takuth heed, 
of rex achab. & of nabot. Non concupisces domum proximi tui. secun- 
dum Augusiinuai. hie prohibet coneupiccnciam reialiene imitiobilis. 

' Altered from audiie by the erasing of the e. 

' In tlie margin by A. 'Above the line by A. 



A Middle Englimh Treatise on the Ten Commandments 35 

Non detiderabis uxorem eius. non seruum nee ancillam. non bouem. 
nan atinum. nee omnia que illiiis aunt. ^ Hie prohibit concupicenciam 
ret Hio6i7i<i. secundum. Origenum. tamen unum e«t preceplum. 
% Zaeharie propheie. v. Ego video volumen volans. longitndo eius. xx. 
eubitorum. tt latitudo eius. x. cubitorum. & dixit ad me. Hec est 
maledixio que egredietur mper faciem omnw <erre. quia omnisfur sicut 
ibi seriptum est iudicabitur. Et omni« iuraus ex hoc similiter iudica- 
bitar. Educam illud dicit dominu^ exteri. &■ veniet ad dwnum furls. 
<t ad domum iurantis. in * nomine meo mendaciter. et 
commorabitur ' in medio ' domus eius. & consumet eum 
(t ligna eius. & lapides. & cetera. Math. vij. Omnia ergo queeumqne 
uultis ut faeiant vobis homines. & vos facile illis. hec est e7u*m lex & 
prophete. iVon omnw qui dicil michi. rfoniine. domiiie. intrabit in 
regnum celorum. set qui facit voluntatem patris mei qni in cells est. 
Luce. vj. Quid autem vocastis vie domine. domine. & nonfacitis que 
dicof Johannes, xiiij. Si diligitis me. mandata viea seruate. Mathei. 
rir. Si vis ingredi ad uitam serua mandata. Qai nobie concedat. q\ii 
uiuit. & regnat. 



Id the margin hj A. 



NOTES 



p. 9, 1. 21 ille clearly for ilke. 1. 22 jnf for saf. 1. 24 Between Icepe and Ms a 
word has been cumpletely scratched over. 

P. 10, 1. I Rnaon. So the MS. The difference between o and « in tlie writing 
is so sliRht that the two letters were easily confused. 1. 21 hnges for landa. 
I, 25 ehirileren for ehUderen. 

P. 11, 1. 10 man & vtmtn for man ct woman. 1. 35 After god tliree words have 
been written in the margin by B. The second of these words may be either /e or 
/>i. The last word cannot be read with any degree of certainty ; seemingly it is 
fauer, though it may be trauelL Either of these readings makes good sense. The 
added phrase is not absolutely necessary. 

P. 12, 1. 2 tkaplokur. Of. Kluge, Paul's Grundriss, 1060. 1. 15 isrU for isituif. 
I. 23 tauula for laluut. 

P. 13, I. 32 for to uilli ho slnll, etc. =for to uil who stall, etc. 
P. 14, 1. 1 .4 m/ of, etc. probably for An. I. 1 loiits. It seems certjiin that soues = 
lifttt is intended and that it is a reference to the practice described by Brand, 
Popular Aniiiiuitita, HI, 35 fl. 1. 14 dunnancia for diuinacio, which probably was 
in the original from which the scribe was copying diuin<ifio, the a, of course, 
being a mistake for a. 1. 16 ydotatriam for ydolalria. 1. 'i5 gegor toi gregor. 
P. 15, 1. 29 sanelwel. One word in the MS. 
1'. 16. 1. 22 At the foot of fol. 121 b : 

S. pttri. i. H Mdiui enim erat eis non eognoscere viam iusticie. quam post 
agnicionem retrorsum conueiti ab eo quod iilU trzditura e.it sancto mandato. 
ysidoms dt summo. 4ono. Tanto enim maiu» eognoacituT peccatum esse. 
quanto fnim mnior qui peccator [ — peccat'] habetUT. 

aetaum. 5. If Obedirc oportet deo magix q\iam homitxihus. dedit dean 
«piritufn lanrtum omni6u8 ohedimtilms »ibi. 

jrejorius. Si ueraciler christi'anux ess*, plu* dei iitdirium quavi /lominis 
roru limera. 
1. 23 mnn for maner. 
P. 16 Gloss, 1. 5 perda for ptrdel. 

P. 17, 1. 1 me for tnen. 1. 12 eomnutundtmetis for eommaHndcmentia. 1. 15 Qitla 
for qui, 1. 16 adhibrm for adhibtt. 

P. 18, 1. 24 intandum for uitnndam. 1. 2ti sue for imeie. 1. 23 W for l>er. 1. 30 
quod ftt. So the MS. 

37 



38 James Finch Royster 

P. 19, 1. 10 sau^th for sau^. 

P. 21, 1. 17 have evidently is omitted between <fc and rewarde. 1. 24 gorie for glorie. 
P. 22, 1. 7 Supply estis between potentes and ad. Visi for viri. missendum for 
miaeendam. 1. 9 At the bottom of fol. 122 b : 

TI In exodom. xij. xiij. Dies prima erit sancta [atque] solempnis. et dies sep- 

tima eadem festiuitale veneTabitis. nichil opens facieiis in eis. ezceplis hijs que 

ad vescendam perlinent. et ohseniahilis azima. SI. 35. In leuitiro. 33. U locutus 

est rfominus ad moysen dicens. Deciino diemensis kuiMs septimi' dies expia- 

cionis erit celebrrimus. &. I'ocafiitur sanc(us. Affligelisque animas festras in eo. 

& offeretis holocaslam domino. Omne opus serui7e nonfacietis m tempove 

diei huias .' quia, dies propic'iacionis est. ul piopicietur vobis rfomin«» deus 

rester. Omnis anima que afflicta nonfuerit die hac. peribit de popalts stiis. 

Et que operis quippiam fecerit .' delebo earn de populo suo. Nichil ergo operis 

facieiis in co. Legittinum sempiternum erit vob\s in ctinettis generac'ionibas. 

& habiiacionibas vestris. Sabb'dtam requiescionis est. [et] affiigelis animas 

tesiras die nono menses. A nespera usque ad ueiq^eram .' cetebriiis sabbata 

uestra dicit dominus omnip[o(cns]. 

1. 14 ruson: boast, praise, extoll. Cf. Wriglit, Dial. Diet., q. v. 1. 20 sad: 

sated. 1. 30 tume : empty ; Scotch toojn. Skeat denies that the word is O. E. and 

takes it as a Norse borrowing, Icel. tomr. Wall (Ang., xx, 135) cites O. E. torn 

(only in poetry) and Low German tomi. He includes tume among the words that 

tliat may be of either English or Scandinavian origin. 

P. 23, 1. 9 beoth. An unusual form at this date. Again we may have here a 
careless confusion of e and o, or it may be that beoth is a form brought directly 
over from the text that the scribe was copying, which probably was, as in many 
other instances, a very old text. 1. 25 slu$e probably for slu-^\>c. Cf. moicje for 
mou%\>e (p. 32, 1. 3). The scribe may have intended slu\>e, mistaking 5 for (>. 
Strattmann records : s/eu^e, slau]>e, sloui^e, sleuT:,i<e, slauh^e. 1. 30 festiuus for 
fesiiuis. 

P. 24, 1. 10 bre for breke. 1. 16 gar kit. Interesting tautology, which is to be 
accounted for, probably, by the difference of usage in the scribe's dialect and that 
of the copy he was following. 

P. 25, 1. 1 catherizatuT for cathetizatur. 1. 5 quae is omitted between operantur 
and de. 1. 18 vocMtus for vocabitur. 1. 28 solus for .<:olis. 
P. 26, 1. 15 huger for hunger. 

P. 28, 1. 14 longer. The contraction over the c in the MS. is surely that used 
for er. Longe is, of course, intended. 1. 23 cussynges[; kissinges. dippinges: 
embracings. Clyppynge or kyssynge, or towchynge of lyth. Myrc, Instruction for 
Parish Priests, p. 39. ragynges : wanton playing. 1. 31 homlynes : intimacy, 
familiarity. Cf. N. E. D., and Wright, Dial. Did., q. v. Not in Strattmann. 
halku.1 and hemes : corners and recesses. A conventional pairing. Speght's 
Chaucer (1598), Address to Chaucer : "Where hast thou dwelt good Geffrey al 



A Middle Knglish Tri-atiic on the Ten ComviaiidmenU 39 

thU while ? ... In haulkus, and heme, God wot, and in exile." Trevissa 
( Rolls Series), i, 9 : " Dedalus haiia hah many halkes and humes." Ralu Raving 
(E. E. T. S. ), p. 121 : " In caucmys and in ernes." 
P. 30, 1. 7 At the foot of fol. 124 b : 

/.T. Ad htbreos. HonornbiU coanubium in omnibus. <£ thorns inmaculatus. 
ffi)rnieati)Tts A ndulleros iudifobit deu». id est in sptciali iudicio. .5. Ad ephe- 
sios. Saeramenlum hoe. viagnum at. Ysidorua. de mmmo. bono. Principalitcr 
kune (fuo6us vieija diabotus humauo generi dominatar. id est per superbiam 
mentis <t tuxuriam eamis. pvi hec duo vicia diabolua humanum possidet genas. 
u< dum menlem erijit. vel dum per lururiam camem corrumpit. 
Breuis est voluptas fornicacionis .' set perpetua est pena fomicantis. 
I. 8 wedues, widows. OE. widuwe. Protnp. Pan: widue. 1. 24 sttnpe for strenpe. 
1. 33 hatradon. The N. E. D. recortla hatrcden, halerdyn and haalredyn, but not 
the form here. 
P. 31, 1. 5 At the foot of fol. 125 : 

Aetui. z. In verilate <:om;>eri[o] ^uoniam non personarum acceptor deus. 
set in omni genie que timet [eum]. et operatar I'ltsd'ciVim acceptus est illi. 
I. 29 reeorduri : witnesses, glosers : flatteres, decievers. 1. 30 urim ,• ac- 
cusers. 

P. 32, 1. 1 /(IS (or/alf. tisera: enticers. 1. 3 mou-$e for moirshe. 1. 25 Agay for 
Agagnes. 1. 28 h<m for (xim. 
P. 33, 1. 1 neythe for neynthe. 

P. 34, 1. 7 bargenige for bargeninge. 1. 8 verba omitted between audit and 
mendaeij. 1. 10 At the foot of fol. 125 b : 

Zacharie prophr(<. ^ Loquimini ueritatem unusquisqu< cum proximo 
suo u»-itatem <& indicium pacis indicate in portis yestria. & unusquisque 
malum contra amicum suum ne cogitetis in cordibus yeslris. & iuramentum 
meum vmii ne diligatis. Omnia enim hec sunt que odi dicit domi'nus. 
1. 12 bargenige. Again the second n is omitted. 1. 14 be is omitted be- 
tween sehuiiie and harmed. 

P. 35, 1. 8 eiteri for exercitum. 1. 9 At the foot of fol. 126 : 

.£rclesiastici. aiij. Virmultum iurans replebilur ini<;ui(a/«. <fc non discedat 
a domo eiui ptaga. 
1. 15 vocastit for vocatis. 



L 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




